Everything you need to know ahead of the Lions' tour to Australia in 2025.
The Lions Tour Australia will see the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales unite with a single common goal – to emerge victorious from a Test series against the Wallabies.
Andy Farrell and his coaching team will have just a few short months to create a team capable of beating Australia in their own back yard. Right now they’ll be paying close attention to the Six Nations 2025, where the best forwards and backs in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales will be playing themselves in – and out – of contention for a spot on the plane to Australia. All of them will know that victory down under will guarantee them a place in the history books – after all, the Lions have only won two test series in the professional era, with their last victory coming in Australia 12 years ago.
This June, July and August it’ll be Australia’s turn to hear the Lions’ roar once again. After a disastrous Rugby World Cup and “winning” the Wooden Spoon in last year’s Rugby Championship, the Wallabies showed signs of recovery in November’s Autumn Nations Series, running Ireland close in Dublin and picking up an impressive victory over England at Twickenham. Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt has already announced he’s stepping down after the Lions tour to Australia, but he’ll be keen for his side to continue they upward trajectory as they prepare for a home World Cup in 2027. Besides, it’s in everyone’s interests if this eagerly anticipated Test series is closely contested.
This summer’s British & Irish Lions adventure down under is the latest instalment in a story that stretches all the way back to 1888. From the still-talked-about 1971 Lions of Gareth Edwards and Willie John McBride who won in New Zealand, to the Warren Gatland team who took the spoils from Australia in 2013, the team is steeped in history. The idea that players from the four home nations can assemble every four years to take on the best teams in the southern hemisphere remains one of the most romantic notions in sport, even in rugby’s professional era.
With four months to go until the first ball of the Lions tour to Australia is kicked against Argentina in Dublin, there’s still plenty of time to speculate on the players Farrell and co should be selecting for the trip to the southern hemisphere. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia in 2025.
Lions Tour Australia: Overview
| Dates | 20 June – 2 August 2025 |
| Destination | Australia |
| Number of matches | 10 |
| Head coach | Andy Farrell |
| TV coverage | Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland; Nine and Stan Sport in Australia |
Lions Tour Australia: fixtures
The British & Irish Lions will play 10 matches on their 2025 tour to Australia, including three tests against the Wallabies. Their itinerary contains two extra games compared to the eight they played in South Africa in 2021, and two fewer than they played in New Zealand in 2017.
Before flying out to Australia, the Lions will play their first ever match in Ireland. Argentina will be the opposition at the Aviva Stadium on Friday 20 June.
The Lions’ opponents for one game in Australia, the Tuesday 22 July match at the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, are still unconfirmed.
Friday 20 June
- British & Irish Lions v Argentina
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Saturday 28 June
- Western Force v British & Irish Lions
Optus Stadium, Perth
Wednesday 2 July
- Queensland Reds v British & Irish Lions
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Saturday 5 July
- NSW Waratahs v British & Irish Lions
Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Wednesday 9 July
- ACT Brumbies v British & Irish Lions
Gio Stadium, Canberra
Saturday 12 July
- Invitational Australia and New Zealand XV v British & Irish Lions
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Saturday 19 July
- FIRST TEST
Australia v British & Irish Lions
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Tuesday 22 July
- TBC v British & Irish Lions
Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
Saturday 26 July
- SECOND TEST
Australia v British & Irish Lions
MCG, Melbourne
Saturday 2 August
- THIRD TEST
Australia v British & Irish Lions
Accor Stadium, Sydney
Lions Tour Australia: management and squad
Aled Walters, David Nucifora, Andy Farrell and Vinny Hammond enjoy the sights of Sydney on a recent Lions Tour Australia recce (©KarenWatson)
Ireland boss Andy Farrell has the honour of leading the British & Irish Lions’ tour to Australia, having been unveiled as head coach in January 2024. He’s currently on a sabbatical from Ireland – Simon Easterby is serving as interim head coach during the Six Nations – and will return to the day job when the Lions Test series wraps up in August.
Farrell has previous Lions experience, having served as defence coach under Warren Gatland in Australia in 2013 and New Zealand in 2017.
Farrell has already named the first members of his British & Irish Lions coaching staff, and he’s worked with all of them at Ireland. Aled Walters and Vinny Hammond are both currently on the Ireland payroll, and will join the tour as head of athletic performance and head of analysis, respectively. Dave Nucifora, who spent a successful decade as performance director for the IRFU (he’s now working in a similar capacity for Scottish Rugby), will serve as general manager of performance for the trip to Australia. As a former Wallaby, Nucifora’s local knowledge is also expected to come in useful.
Farrell’s assistants will be announced on Wednesday 26 March, once the Six Nations is finished.
There’s still five months to go before the players take the field for the first Lions Tour Australia test in Brisbane, so it’s rather early for news on the British & Irish Lions 2025 squad – after all, there’s still plenty of time for form, fitness and the arrival of exciting new players to shape the thinking of Farrell and his coaching staff. Nonetheless, that’s unlikely to stop rugby fans across the UK and Ireland selecting their own XVs in the meantime.
British & Irish Lions Tour Australia shirt
The new Lions shirt features the rose, shamrock, thistle and feathers emblems woven into the fabric (Inpho/Canterbury)
The 2025 Lions kit was unveiled at a launch event in London in November 2024. The new Canterbury strip features a darker shade of red and a new headline sponsor, insurance brokers Howden. Two-time Lions captain Sam Warburton consulted on the design.
Canterbury British and Irish Lions shirt for Australia 2025 | £81.99 £70.00
The new jersey for next year’s tour has been released and it features a new deeper shade of red and some connected technology on every top that allows fans to scan and access an app.
Previous British & Irish Lions tours
Winning a Lions series is always a tall order – as the tourists found in South Africa in 2021. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
The first British & Irish Lions tour took place in 1888, when a group of former England cricketers led a party of 22 players on an epic 249-day tour of Australia and New Zealand. It was a brilliant idea that quickly caught on, and groups of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh players have regularly come together to take on the southern hemisphere giants on their own turf.
The Lions haven’t won a tour since their previous trip to Australia in 2013, so they’ll be hoping to rediscover some of that magic down under.
Here’s an overview of past British & Irish Lions tours.
| Year | Destination | Test series | Head coach | Tour captain |
| 1888 | New Zealand and Australia |
No tests played |
Alfred Shaw, Arthur Shrewsbury |
Robert Seddon, Andrew Stoddart |
| 1891 | South Africa | Lions win | Edwin Ash | Bill Maclagan |
| 1896 | South Africa | Lions win | Roger Walker | Johnny Hammond, Thomas Crean |
| 1899 | Australia | Lions win | Matthew Mullineux | Matthew Mullineux, Frank Stout |
| 1903 | South Africa | Lions loss | Johnny Hammond | Mark Morrison |
| 1904 | Australia | Lions win | Arthur O’Brien | David Bedell-Sivright, Teddy Morgan |
| 1904 | New Zealand | Lions loss | Arthur O’Brien | David Bedell-Sivright, Teddy Morgan |
| 1908 | New Zealand | Lions loss | George Harnett | Arthur Harding |
| 1908 | Australia | No tests played |
George Harnett | Arthur Harding |
| 1910 | South Africa | Lions loss | William Cail, Walter E Rees |
Tommy Smyth, Jack Jones |
| 1910 | Argentina | Lions win | RV Stanley | John Raphael |
| 1924 | South Africa | Lions loss | Harry Packer | Ronald Cove-Smith |
| 1927 | Argentina | Lions win | James Baxter | David MacMyn |
| 1930 | New Zealand | Lions loss | James Baxter | Doug Prentice, Carl Aarvold |
| 1930 | Australia | Lions loss | James Baxter | Doug Prentice, Carl Aarvold |
| 1936 | Argentina | Lions win | Doug Prentice | Bernard Gadney |
| 1938 | South Africa | Lions loss | Major BC Hartley | Sam Walker |
| 1950 | New Zealand | Lions loss | Leslie B Oborne | Karl Mullen, Bleddyn Williams |
| 1950 | Australia | Lions win | Leslie B Oborne | Karl Mullen, Bleddyn Williams |
| 1955 | South Africa | Tie | Jack Siggins | Robin Thompson, Cliff Morgan |
| 1959 | Australia | Lions win | OB Glasgow | Ronnie Dawson |
| 1959 | New Zealand | Lions loss | OB Glasgow | Ronnie Dawson |
| 1962 | South Africa | Lions loss | Harry McKibbin | Arthur Smith, Dickie Jeeps |
| 1966 | Australia | Lions win | John Robins | David Watkins, Mike Campbell-Lamerton |
| 1966 | New Zealand | Lions loss | John Robins | David Watkins, Mike Campbell-Lamerton |
| 1968 | South Africa | Lions loss | Ronnie Dawson | Tom Kiernan |
| 1971 | New Zealand | Lions win | Carwyn James | John Dawes |
| 1974 | South Africa | Lions win | Syd Millar | Willie John McBride |
| 1977 | New Zealand | Lions loss | John Dawes | Phil Bennett |
| 1980 | South Africa | Lions loss | Noel Murphy | Bill Beaumont |
| 1983 | New Zealand | Lions loss | Jim Telfer | Ciaran Fitzgerald |
| 1989 | Australia | Lions win | Ian McGeechan | Finlay Calder |
| 1993 | New Zealand | Lions loss | Ian McGeechan | Gavin Hastings |
| 1997 | South Africa | Lions win | Ian McGeechan | Martin Johnson |
| 2001 | Australia | Lions loss | Graham Henry | Martin Johnson |
| 2005 | New Zealand | Lions loss | Clive Woodward | Brian O’Driscoll |
| 2009 | South Africa | Lions loss | Ian McGeechan | Paul O’Connell |
| 2013 | Australia | Lions win | Warren Gatland | Sam Warburton |
| 2017 | New Zealand | Tie | Warren Gatland | Sam Warburton |
| 2021 | South Africa | Lions loss | Warren Gatland | Alun Wyn Jones |
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