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2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia
International rugby union tour From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia, known for sponsorship reasons as the Qatar Airways Lions Men's Series,[1] was an international rugby union tour which took place in Australia between June and August 2025.
The British & Irish Lions, a team selected from players eligible to represent England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, played a three-match test series against Australia, as well as matches against Australia's four Super Rugby franchises, one against an invitational team made up of players from Australia and New Zealand, and a match against a team made up of players with First Nations and Pasifika origin. Ireland coach Andy Farrell was appointed as the Lions' head coach for the tour in January 2024.
After losing to Argentina in a pre-tour match, the Lions won all their matches in Australia, except the third test. They won the test series 2–1.
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Schedule
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The fixtures for the tour were announced on 19 July 2023.[2] The tour culminated with a three-match test series between the Lions and the Australia, and also featured matches against Australia's four Super Rugby franchises, the Western Force, Queensland Reds, New South Wales Waratahs and ACT Brumbies. They were scheduled to face the Melbourne Rebels in the week between the first and second tests, but the Rebels were disbanded at the end of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season after going into administration earlier in the year.[3] A match against a team of players with indigenous Australian and Pacific Island heritage was proposed in its place in November 2024[4] and confirmed in March 2025.[5] The week before the first test, the Lions played a match in Adelaide against an invitational team of players from Australia and New Zealand.[2][6] A warm-up match against Argentina was played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on 20 June 2025. It was the Lions' first ever match in Ireland.[7]
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Venues
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Squads
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British and Irish Lions
On 8 May 2025, Lions chairman and tour manager Ieuan Evans announced a 38-player squad at The O2 Arena in London. In a first for the Lions, the squad was announced in front of 2,000 fans.[16][17]
The initial squad was made up of 15 players from Ireland, 13 from England, 8 from Scotland and 2 from Wales. Maro Itoje was named as the 47th Lions captain.[18]
Notes: Ages listed are as of the first tour match on 20 June against Argentina. Bold denotes that the player was selected for a previous Lions squad. Italic denotes a player that withdrew from the squad following selection.
Management and staff
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell was appointed as the Lions' head coach for the tour in January 2024. He succeeded former Wales head coach Warren Gatland, who had led the team on their previous three tours. Farrell was one of Gatland's assistant coaches on the 2013 tour to Australia and 2017 tour to New Zealand.[19][20]
Farrell announced his five assistant coaches on 26 March 2025.[21] Three of the coaches selected worked under Farrell at Ireland – defence coach Simon Easterby, scrum coach John Fogarty and backs coach Andrew Goodman.[22] Forwards coach John Dalziel was selected from Scotland, whilst attack coach Richard Wigglesworth (who played under Farrell at Saracens) was selected from England. For all five assistant coaches, this was their first Lions tour, although Easterby had toured as a player in 2005.[23] It was also the first tour since 2001 without any representation from Wales among the coaches.[24]
On 17 April, Johnny Sexton was added to the coaching staff.[25] Sexton, who toured with the Lions as a player in 2013 and 2017, has been a coach with Ireland since 2024.
On 23 June, the Lions confirmed the backroom staff of the tour.[26]
Australia
On 11 July 2025, Australia named a 36-player squad ahead of their test series against the British & Irish Lions.[27]
On 22 July, Pete Samu was called up to the squad as training cover, after being blocked from playing in the First Nations & Pasifika XV match.[28]
On 23 July, Josh Flook was called up to the squad as training cover, while Filipo Daugunu recovered from injury sustained during the First Nations & Pasifika XV match.
On 27 July, Aidan Ross was called up to the squad to replace Harry Potter, who was injured during the second test match.[29]
On 1 August, Brandon Paenga-Amosa was called up to the squad to replace Dave Porecki, who was injured leading up to the third test match.[30]
Coaching team:
- Head coach:
Joe Schmidt
- Assistant coach:
Geoff Parling
- Assistant coach:
Laurie Fisher
- Assistant coach:
Mike Cron
- Skills Coach:
Eoin Toolan
Note: Ages, caps and clubs as of first test match on 19 July 2025.
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Matches
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British & Irish Lions v Argentina
20 June 2025 20:00 IST (UTC+01) |
British & Irish Lions ![]() | 24–28 | ![]() |
Try: Aki 18' c Penalty try 45' Beirne 52' c Con: F. Smith (2/2) 19', 53' Pen: F. Smith (1/1) 9' | Report | Try: Mendy 11' m Albornoz 40' c Cordero 58' c Con: Albornoz (2/3) 40+1', 53' Pen: Albornoz (3/3) 4', 25', 39' |
Aviva Stadium, Dublin Attendance: 51,700 Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)[31] |
Western Force v British & Irish Lions
28 June 2025 18:00 AWST (UTC+8) |
Western Force ![]() | 7–54 | ![]() |
Try: White 4' c Con: Donaldson (1/1) 5' | Report | Try: Sheehan 1' c Williams (2) 16' c, 46' m Daly (2) 35' c, 70' c Ringrose 51' c McCarthy 54' c Mitchell 80' c Con: Russell (5/6) 2', 16', 36', 52', 54' M. Smith (2/2) 71', 80+1' |
Perth Stadium, Perth Attendance: 46,656 Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)[31] |
Queensland Reds v British & Irish Lions
2 July 2025 20:00 AEST (UTC+10) |
Queensland Reds ![]() | 12–52 | ![]() |
Try: Toomaga-Allen 8' c Flook 25' m Con: McLaughlin-Phillips (1/2) 9' | Report | Try: Freeman (2) 19' c, 60' c Porter 28' c van der Merwe 35' c Itoje 44' c Morgan 55' c Jones 65' m Ringrose 80+4' m Con: Russell (4/4) 20', 29', 36', 45' F. Smith (2/4) 56', 61' |
Lang Park, Brisbane Attendance: 46,435 Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)[31] |
New South Wales Waratahs v British & Irish Lions
5 July 2025 20:00 AEST (UTC+10) |
New South Wales Waratahs ![]() | 10–21 | ![]() |
Try: Lancaster 34' m Dobbins 41' m | Report | Try: Jones (2) 11' c, 32' c Mitchell 54' c Con: F. Smith (3/3) 12', 33', 55' |
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 40,568[40] Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)[31] |
ACT Brumbies v British & Irish Lions
9 July 2025 20:00 AEST (UTC+10) |
ACT Brumbies ![]() | 24–36 | ![]() |
Try: Tualima 3' m Toole 36' m Creighton 50' c Bowron 74' c Con: R. Lonergan (1/3) 51' Debreczeni (1/1) 75' | Report | Try: Chessum 14' m Lowe 28' c M. Smith 40' c Ringrose 46' c van der Flier 66' c Con: Russell (4/5) 29', 40+1', 47', 67' Pen: Russell (1/1) 61' |
Canberra Stadium, Canberra Attendance: 23,116 Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)[31] |
Invitational AU & NZ v British & Irish Lions
12 July 2025 19:30 ACST (UTC+09:30) |
AUNZ Invitational XV ![]() ![]() | 0–48 | ![]() |
Report | Try: van der Merwe (3) 6' m, 20' m, 63' m White 9' c Tuipulotu 43' c Cummings 61' c Kelleher 69' m Pollock 75' c Con: F. Smith (2/4) 10', 43' M. Smith (2/4) 61', 76' |
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Attendance: 43,124 Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)[31] |
Australia v British & Irish Lions (first test)
19 July 2025 20:00 AEST (UTC+10) |
Australia ![]() | 19–27 | ![]() |
Try: Jorgensen 28' m Tizzano 67' c McDermott 78' c Con: Donaldson (2/2) 68', 78' | Report | Try: Tuipulotu 8' c Curry 35' c Sheehan 41' c Con: Russell (3/3) 9', 36', 42' Pen: Russell (1/1) 1' M. Smith (1/1) 73' |
Lang Park, Brisbane Attendance: 52,229 Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)[31] |
Player of the Match:
Assistant referees:
|
Notes:
- Nick Champion de Crespigny (Australia) made his international debut.[44]
- Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Tommy Freeman, Ellis Genge, Jamison Gibson-Park, Huw Jones, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Rónan Kelleher, Joe McCarthy, Alex Mitchell, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Marcus Smith, Will Stuart, Sione Tuipulotu made their Lions test debuts.[45]
- Maro Itoje earned his 100th test cap (93 for England, 7 for the British & Irish Lions).[46]
First Nations & Pasifika XV v British & Irish Lions
22 July 2025 20:00 AEST (UTC+10) |
First Nations & Pasifika XV | 19–24 | ![]() |
Try: Reilly 17' c Uru 22' c Leota 70' m Con: Beale (2/3) 18', 23' | Report | Try: Osborne (2) 7' c, 44' m Graham 10' c van der Merwe 63' m Con: F. Smith (2/4) 8', 11' |
Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Attendance: 30,420 Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)[31] |
Australia v British & Irish Lions (second test)
26 July 2025 20:00 AEST (UTC+10) |
Australia ![]() | 26–29 | ![]() |
Try: Slipper 15' m Gordon 27' c Wright 30' m Con: Lynagh (1/3) 28' Pen: Lynagh (3/3) 4', 10', 53' | Report | Try: Sheehan 15' m Curry 34' m Jones 37' c Beirne 59' c Keenan 79' m Con: Russell (2/5) 38', 60' |
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Attendance: 90,307[48] Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)[31] |
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Player of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Notes:
- Blair Kinghorn, Jac Morgan and James Ryan made their British and Irish test debuts.[49]
- The British and Irish Lions won their first test series since Australia 2013.[50]
- The British and Irish Lions won a test series with a game in hand for the first time since South Africa 1997.[51]
- The 90,307 match attendance was a record crowd for a British & Irish Lions match, and the MCG's record largest rugby union crowd.[52]
Australia v British & Irish Lions (third test)
2 August 2025 20:00 AEST (UTC+10) |
Australia ![]() | 22–12 | ![]() |
Try: Pietsch 7' m Jorgensen 54' c McDermott 70' c Con: Donaldson (2/2) 55', 72' Pen: Lynagh (1/1) 33' | Report | Try: Morgan 61' c Stuart 79' m Con: Russell (1/2) 62' |
Stadium Australia, Sydney Attendance: 80,312 Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)[31] |
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Player of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Attendances
Statistics
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Lions player statistics
Key
- Con: Conversions
- Pen: Penalties
- DG: Drop goals
- Pts: Points
Test match statistics
Key
- Con: Conversions
- Pen: Penalties
- DG: Drop goals
- Pts: Points
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Broadcasting rights
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Notes
- Excluding Japan
- All Australia matches are televised free-to-air on Nine.
References
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