Rugby World looks at the bookmaker's favourites to lead Andy Farrell's British & Irish Lions in Australia this summer.
There’s just two weeks until head coach Andy Farrell names the players he’s selected for the British & Irish Lions’ tour of Australia this summer. The Lions squad will be announced by Ieuan Evans MBE, Lions Chair, at a first-of-its kind event on Thursday 8 May in front of more than 2,000 supporters at indigo at The O2 in London.
On what is set to be a memorable day for Lions fans, the world will also get to see who is given the honour of skippering the side. The tourists will host Argentina in Dublin on Friday 20 June before embarking on their journey to Australia, where they’ll kick off their nine-match tour against Western Force on Saturday 28 June.
So, as judgement day approaches, Rugby World has taken a look at the bookies’ favourites to be the next Lions captain this summer. You can also check out who’ll be joining Farrell’s backroom team in our guide to the British & Irish Lions coaching staff.
Maro Itoje (England) – 4/5
Maro Itoje is among the favourites to be named British & Irish Lions captain. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)
Maro Itoje’s odds to lead the Lions have dropped dramatically after his debut Six Nations as England skipper. Following his team’s 68-14 win over Wales in Cardiff, England head coach Steve Borthwick said, “I’d be fully confident in Maro to lead the Lions should Andy ask him”.
That vote of confidence has done Itoje’s chances the world of good after a Six Nations campaign that saw the lock forward’s leadership grow with every outing.
Read more: Who are the British & Irish Lions playing this summer? All the fixtures in one place
Already a two-time Lion, having toured New Zealand and South Africa, Itoje has excelled in Test rugby this season and is well known to Farrell from his time with Saracens (where he also wears the armband), England and the Lions. Throughout the entirety of his playing career the 30-year-old has been touted as a potential international captain and is finally living up to that billing.
Caelan Doris (Ireland) – 5/4
Ireland captain Caelan Doris is in the frame to be Lions captain (Inpho)
Caelan Doris was named Ireland captain by Andy Farrell for the second game of the 2024 Six Nations, and has since kept the role when fit. A near-constant in the Ireland setup since the Englishman’s instalment in the Aviva Stadium’s top job, Doris has developed into a complete back-row forward. Also captaining his province, Leinster Rugby, Doris has developed a knack for leadership that could make the difference Down Under.
Unlike Maro Itoje and Finn Russell, Doris has never toured with the Lions before. Overlooked for selection in 2021, that lack of experience could be held against Doris when Farrell does finally select his squad.
Read more: The complete list of British & Irish Lions Test captains through history
That said, one of the nuances to Lions selections is creating a balance between all the different nations converging to take on the Wallabies and Doris’ pre-existing relationship with Farrell could make the 27-year-old a frontrunner for the responsibility of leading the team.
Finn Russell (Scotland) – 16/1
Finn Russell is joint third-favourite for the Lions captain role
Following Sione Tuipulotu’s Six Nations-ending injury Finn Russell was named co-captain of Scotland alongside Rory Darge.
While Darge has slightly longer odds of 66/1, the Bath Rugby playmaker is the favourite to wear the fly-half jersey in the Test series against Australia, despite kicking at 38 per cent during the Championship.
In 2017 Russell was called into the Lions squad as a replacement (he was a member of the so-called “Geography Six”) and appeared in a 31-31 draw with the Hurricanes. Four years later went to South Africa, appearing in the decisive third Test and scoring 11 points against the Springboks.
Although no doubt a capable leader, Russell is unlikely to be burdened with the rigours of the armband, as the coaching staff hope to implement their plan of attack in a short space of time.
Dan Sheehan (Ireland) – 16/1
Could Dan Sheehan be an outsider for Lions captaincy?. (Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Dan Sheehan’s chances of even making the British & Irish Lions squad were being downplayed ahead of this year’s Six Nations. Only returning from a six-month layoff from an ACL injury in January, the hooker is now being spoken about as having an outside chance of leading the team after taking on captaincy duties against Wales in the 2025 Six Nations.
Playing in all five matches for Ireland as they finished third in the tournament, Sheehan was joint-second try scorer with England’s Tommy Freeman after he crossed the whitewash on five occasions. This included an impressive hat-trick against Italy in the final round and has the 26-year-old pegged as a Test match starter in Australia.
It is Sheehan’s try scoring exploits and pre-existing relationship with Farrell that have made the hooker’s odds more favourable, but having captained Ireland only once would appear to make his chances less likely.
Jac Morgan (Wales) – 20/1
Jac Morgan from Wales could be an option for Lions captain. (Getty Images)
At only 25 Jac Morgan is the youngest player on this list. While Wales have endured a torrid time in the Test match arena, Morgan has impressed with his comprehensive performances at flanker. Given a rest by Ospreys to recover from the “mental strain” of a Six Nations campaign that saw Warren Gatland depart as head coach after two games, Morgan will surely be on Farrell’s radar and could be one of Wales’ only representatives on the tour.
Read more: What’s the fewest players selected from a single nation on a British & Irish Lions tour?
He has already captained Wales U20, Ospreys and Wales in his career so far and certainly has his admirers. Former Wales captain Sam Warburton and ex-England head coach Eddie Jones have both given the Ospreys man their endorsement after recent performances.
No doubt a suitable candidate to take on the task, though it would perhaps be best to unshackle Morgan from the job and just let Morgan focus on playing rugby.
Tadhg Beirne (Ireland) – 20/1
Will Tadhg Beirne follow in Martin Johnson’s footsteps by captaining the Lions before his country? (Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Should Farrell choose to give the captaincy to one of his tried-and-tested Ireland charges, another option is Tadhg Beirne. While he’s never captained the national side, that doesn’t have to be a barrier to leading the Lions, as Martin Johnson proved when he first skippered the side in 1997. And it’s not as if the 33-year-old, 63-Test Beirne is lacking leadership experience, seeing as he took over the Munster captaincy from Peter O’Mahony this season.
Also in the positives column, Beirne’s previous Lions experience could be invaluable (he came off the bench in two Tests against South Africa), he’s been widely tipped for a starting berth alongside (probably) Maro Itoje in the second row, and his ability to also play at flanker does his prospects no harm, either. Undoubtedly an outsider, but one who’s likely to deliver should Farrell give him the nod.
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