The British & Irish Lions head Down Under this summer before taking on the Wallabies in a three-Test series. It promises to be a fascinating tour, with head coach Andy Farrell looking to deliver only their second series victory this century.
Here’s everything you need to know.
When are the games?
All Lions games in Australia will take place at 7.45 p.m. AEST (10.45 a.m. BST), with games taking place on either a Saturday or Wednesday.
June 20 — vs. Argentina (in Dublin, Ireland)
June 28 — vs. Western Force
July 2 — vs. Queensland Reds
July 5 — vs. NSW Waratahs
July 9 — vs. ACT Brumbies
July 12 — vs. Australia & New Zealand Invitational XV
July 19 — vs. Australia
July 22 — vs. First Nations & Pasifika XV
July 26 — vs. Australia
Aug. 2 — vs. Australia
How to watch the Lions tour on TV
The tour will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and on Stan Sport in Australia; the three Tests will also be available on Channel 9 Down Under.
You can also follow all the action with ESPN’s live blogs of each game, as well as extensive news and feature coverage.
Click here to see ESPN home of British and Irish Lions content.
How have the Lions fared in previous Tours?
Relive the famous 1997 British and Irish Lions tour against Rugby World Cup champion, South Africa.
The task facing Andy Farrell is to guide the Lions to only their second tour victory in almost 30 years, their only success coming in a 2013 trip to Australia.
That summer, Warren Gatland’s side earned a 2-1 series victory — including an emphatic 41-16 win in the deciding game in Sydney. However, the two succeeding Lions sides have struggled to reach the same heights.
The 2017 tour of New Zealand ended in a tie, with the All Blacks and Lions winning a Test each before playing out to a 16-16 draw in the final game in Auckland.
The 2021 tour of South Africa, which was played under the shadow of Covid, got off to a bright start, with the Lions enjoying a 22-17 victory, only for the Springboks to take the next two Tests and the seires.
Recent tours:
2021 — vs. South Africa (2-1 defeat)
2017 — vs. New Zealand (1-1-1 draw)
2013 — vs. Australia (2-1 win)
2009 — vs. South Africa (2-1 defeat)
2005 — vs. New Zealand (3-0 defeat)
2001 — vs. Australia (2-1 defeat)
What happened the last time the Lions toured Australia?
Relive the British and Irish Lions 2013 winning tour of Australia, where the team clinched their first series victory since 1997.
The Lions triumphed 2-1 in 2013, giving Warren Gatland a series win in the first of his three tours as coach. The Lions defeated the Wallabies in Brisbane, only for Australia to square the series in Melbourne a week later.
But the tourists saved their best for last, the Lions completely dominating the Wallabies 41-16 in Sydney, a result that brought an end to Robbie Deans’ six-year tenure as Australia coach.
The Lions otherwise won all but one of their tour games, their other defeat coming against the ACT Brumbies in Canberra.
What is the Wallabies’ form heading into the series?
The situation couldn’t have been much worse for Australia after their Rugby World Cup 2023 flop, with the team parting ways with coach Eddie Jones by mutual decision soon after. However, the Wallabies were then able to climb up from international abyss under Kiwi Joe Schmidt, who led them to a 6-7 record in 2024.
Schmidt cast a wide net at the start of the season, before closing the year having blooded no fewer than 19 Test debutants. While their final outing of 2024 was a loss to Ireland in Dublin, the Wallabies had shown more than enough to suggest that the three-Test series with Lions was anything but a foregone conclusion. Australia’s last-gasp win over England at Twickenham put the belief back into Australian rugby.
Australia have one warm-up game, against Fiji in Newcastle on July. 6, before the first Test with the Lions.
Who is in the Lions squad?
Head coach Andy Farrell named his 38-player squad at the O2 Arena in London, with Maro Itoje crowned captain of the 2025 Lions. There were interesting calls: Henry Pollock included, while there was no place for Owen Farrell, Sam Prendergast, Darcy Graham, Tom Jordan, Jamie George or George Ford.
There have also been a few injury absences to note: Caelan Doris was not selected due to a serious shoulder issue, while Zander Fagerson had to drop out as he will not recover in time from a calf issue.
Who is in the Wallabies squad?
Schmidt will confirm his Wallabies squad to face the Lions after Australia face Fiji on July. 6. There is, however, unlikely to be too much change, save for some injuries, from the 36-man group he has brought together to face the Pacific islanders.
The Kiwi backed his young playmaking trio, rejecting calls for a recall for James O’Connor and Bernard Foley in the process, and included just two uncapped players in winger Corey Toole and back-rower Nick Champion De Crespigny.
You can see the full squad that will prepare to face Fiji here.
– Sam Bruce: In Aussie view, no Owen Farrell means no fear factor
– WATCH: The moment Maro Itoje was named Lions captain
Source: espn.com