The British & Irish Lions squad announcement in May left 38 elite rugby players feeling elated. Those who missed the cut, however, will have felt the polar opposite, as hope turned to disappointment in the short time it took tour manager Ieuan Evans to read the names on head coach Andy Farrell’s list.

Scotland’s Zander Fagerson faced a particularly cruel blow when, having been included in Farrell’s initial selection, injury forced his withdrawal from the squad. Ireland’s Finlay Bealham was the beneficiary of Fagerson’s misfortune, however, when he was called up to take his place in the 38 – and he’s unlikely to be the last player given a second chance by injuries and suspensions elsewhere.

In fact, in the professional era an average of seven players per tour have been called up after the initial squad selection was announced. Some of those players – most notably Ryan Jones, Tom Croft and Alex Corbisiero – have forced their way into the Test line-up to become standout players of the tour. Others, like Warren Gatland’s so-called “Geography Six” in 2017, have generated significantly more controversy than minutes on the pitch.

Here we reveal how late call-ups have fared on the last seven British & Irish Lions tours. We’ll also be updating the page regularly as the 2025 British & Irish Lions squad evolves.

Late call-ups to 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia

Farrell has said there are a “couple of spots [in the squad] open” if and where needed, suggesting there may be room to expand the squad beyond the original 38 players.

Meanwhile, Scotland’s Zander Fagerson became the first casualty of the 2025 British & Irish Lions squad, after a calf injury forced the tighthead prop’s withdrawal. Andy Farrell quickly named Ireland’s Finlay Bealham as a replacement.

England’s Jamie George and Asher Opoku-Fordjour have also been drafted in for the pre-tour training camp in Portugal, with Bath, Leicester Tigers and Leinster players unavailable due to Premiership/URC final commitments.

Total late additions (to date): 1 (plus 2 additional call-ups for Portugal training squad)

How many late call-ups have there been on British & Irish Lions tours?

2021 (South Africa)

England’s Kyle Sinckler had come on as a replacement in all three Tests against the All Blacks four years earlier, but admitted he was “gutted” when he missed the cut for the Lions’ 2021 tour to South Africa. Then Ireland’s Andrew Porter suffered a toe injury before the squad got on the plane, and Sinckler received a belated call-up. He ended picking up three more Lions caps from the bench.

Wales’ Adam Beard (drafted in as cover for Alun Wyn Jones after the skipper dislocated a shoulder against Japan at Murrayfield) also made an appearance in the third Test.

Other additions to Warren Gatland’s 2021 squad included Josh Navidi (in for injured fellow Welshman Justin Tipuric), and 2025 tourists Marcus Smith and Rónan Kelleher.

Total late additions: 5

2017 (New Zealand)

As is so often the case, head coach Gatland had to deal with a couple of withdrawals before anyone had even set foot on the plane: Billy Vunipola suffered an injury to his shoulder, while Ben Youngs pulled out for personal reasons. James Haskell and Greig Laidlaw were drafted in to take their places.

It was the later additions that really grabbed the headlines, however, with the infamous “Geography Six” becoming a major talking point of the tour.

Looking for additional cover to help his Test 23 prepare for the All Blacks, Gatland called up six additional players a week before the Lions were due to face Kieran Read and co. But choice of personnel proved extremely controversial, as the four Welsh (Kristian Dacey, Tomas Francis, Cory Hill and Gareth Davies) and two Scottish players (Allan Dell and Finn Russell) were mainly selected because their respective national sides were playing nearby – with Wales in Tonga and Samoa, and Scotland in Fiji and Australia, it was felt that their players would need less time to acclimatise to the New Zealand time zone.

The move was widely criticised, with then-England boss Eddie Jones telling the BBC: “My only comment would be I would like to see it picked on merit rather than geographical proximity.”

Following the backlash, Gatland decided he’d only deploy the sextet in the event of injuries, HIAs or front row cover in the event of a sin bin. As a result, only fly-half Russell and prop Dell made it on to the field in a Lions shirt, both in midweek games. The four Welshmen had to settle for keeping the bench warm.

Total late additions: 8

2013 (Australia)

Injury to Cian Healy and Gethin Jenkins led to Alex Corbisiero’s call-up. The England player scored a try in the series decider in Sydney. (David Rogers/Getty Images)

Alex Corbisiero was in Argentina with England when the Lions flew out to Australia in 2013. But injuries to props Cian Healy and Gethin Jenkins left a gaping hole in the front row that Corbisiero filled in spectacular style, starting the first and third Tests and scoring the opening try in the match that clinched the Lions’ only series victory of the 21st century.

Other late call-ups included Ireland’s Rory Best (thanks to Dylan Hartley’s suspension) and Simon Zebo, and England’s Brad Barritt, Billy Twelvetrees and Christian Wade. Scotland prop Ryan Grant made it into the 23 for the second Test, but didn’t make it onto the field.

Ireland’s Tom Court effectively became the “Geography One”, called onto the bench for a midweek game against the Melbourne Rebels because he was visiting family in his native Brisbane. Meanwhile, 2005 and 2009 tourist Shane Williams – two years retired from Wales and plying his trade in Japan – was brought in for an unexpected runout against the Brumbies. Williams  was heading to Oz for corporate and commentary work anyway, so there were probably worse ways to spend a Tuesday night…

Total late additions: 9

2009 (South Africa)

The famously brutal tour of 2009 took plenty of Lions out of action in South Africa, leaving room for late call-ups Ross Ford (Scotland), John Hayes (Ireland) and James Hook (Wales) to force their way into Test 22s. Tim Payne (England), Ryan Jones (Wales), Mike Blair (Scotland) and Gordon D’Arcy (Ireland) also joined the touring party after the squad had been announced.

Headline-grabber in chief, however, was England’s Tom Croft, given the nod after Ireland’s Alan Quinlan was suspended in the run-up to the tour. Croft played in all three Tests, scoring two tries in the first, and ended 2009 being shortlisted for World Player of the Year.

Total late additions: 8

2005 (New Zealand)

A late selection in 2005, Ryan Jones played himself into the Test team to face the All Blacks (WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)

Head coach Clive Woodward always intended to add three injured members of his World Cup-winning England team to his 2005 squad should they regain fitness in time. Only Jonny Wilkinson made it in the end (Mike Tindall and Phil Vickery had to stay at home), adding to a 44-man touring party that was already the biggest in Lions history.

Other late additions to the squad included England’s Mark Cueto and Simon Shaw, Ireland’s Simon Easterby (a coach on the upcoming 2025 tour), Scotland’s Jason White, and Wales’ Brent Cockbain and Ryan Jones.

Wilkinson and Easterby both played themselves into the Test side, but it was Jones (flown in from Wales’ North America tour to replace the injured Simon Taylor) who really caught the eye. He appeared in all three Tests, starting two, as the back-row forced his way past more establish names to become one of the Lions’ standout players in New Zealand.

Total late additions: 7

2001 (Australia)

Martin Corry wasn’t even a first choice for England when Graham Henry summoned him down under. But once he’d arrived the future England rugby captain made quite the impression, playing in all three Tests and starting two.

Other late arrivals included England’s Dorian West, Ireland’s Tyrone Howe and David Wallace, Scotland’s Gordon Bulloch and Andy Nicol, and Wales’ Scott Gibbs. None of them played a Test, though West, Bulloch and Nicol did make it onto the bench.

Total late additions: 7

1997 (South Africa)

For the first tour of the professional era, head coaches Ian McGeechan and Jim Telfer needed to call on an additional six players. Kyran Bracken, Mike Catt, Tony Diprose and Nigel Redman were added to an already 18-strong England contingent, along with Ireland’s Paul Wallace and Scotland’s Tony Stanger.

Tighthead Wallace was the only newbie to earn a Test start (he played all three Tests), though the versatile Catt did bag himself a place on the bench.

Total late additions: 6

Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.