The British and Irish Lions squad for this summer’s tour of Australia has been revealed.
Head coach Andy Farrell named a 38-player squad at the O2 Arena in London, with Maro Itoje crowned captain of the 2025 Lions.
The biggest cheers came for England rookie Henry Pollock, who was the standout bolter for the tour given he only made his Test debut for England in March, but there were other eye-catching players included.
Here is the full 38-man squad.
– British & Irish Lions fixtures for Australia tour
– WATCH: The moment Maro Itoje was named Lions captain
– British and Irish Lions squad announcement: How it happened
PROPS
Ellis Genge, England
BIO: Genge is a powerful loose-head prop known for his aggressive ball-carrying. He made his England debut in 2016, and has won 50 caps.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Will Stuart, England
BIO: Stuart was one of England’s standout performers in the Six Nations, meaning he was always a strong contender to be picked by Farrell.
At club level, he has crucial to a Bath side chasing Premiership and European silverware this season, and he will bring experience, with 50 international caps already, although this will be his first Lions tour.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Andrew Porter, Ireland
BIO: Porter has a great shout at making Farrell’s starting XV, having served him well for Ireland in recent years. It will between him and Genge for the No. 1 jersey, though.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2021
Tadhg Furlong, Ireland
BIO: There is no doubting Furlong’s class, although a recurring calf injury has hampered his season ahead of the Lions tour. He is one of the few surviving names from the 2017 side, with this his third tour.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2017, 2021
Pierre Schoeman, Scotland
BIO: One of three Scottish forwards, Schoeman made his international debut in 2021 and has won 40 Test caps since. A dependable prop, he will look to challenge Genge and Porter for the No. 1 jersey. Farrell has talked about competition for places in the squad, and prop will be one of the most hotly contested.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Zander Fagerson, Scotland
BIO: Fagerson has been a mainstay for Scotland ever since his debut in 2016. He is another returning member from the South Africa tour in 2021, although he did not make an appearance in any of the three Tests.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2021
HOOKERS
Dan Sheehan, Ireland
BIO: Sheehan had a strong Six Nations and has bagged tries in club rugby this season. He brings physical presence at hooker and will vie with Luke Cown-Dickie for a starting spot.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Ronan Kelleher, Ireland
BIO: Kelleher was a late addition to the 2021 squad having been part of the pre-tour training camp in Jersey as informal cover, and he will make another berth this time. Like his compatriots, his relationship with Farrell as part of the Ireland setup will be a feather in his cap.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2021
Luke Cowan-Dickie, England
BIO: Cowan-Dickie will bring valuable experience to the front-row, having won 49 Test caps and been apart of two World Cup squads. He also toured with the Lions to South Africa in 2021, so knows the trials and tribulations that come with a long trip away.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2021
BACK ROWS AND LOCKS
Maro Itoje, England
BIO: Itoje will be just the second Englishman to captain the Lions in the professional era, following Martin Johnson who led the tourists in both 1997 and 2001. His international captaincy experience has been impressive so far, leading England in the Six Nations earlier this year.
It was between Itoje and Ireland’s Caelan Doris to be selected as captain, but the latter’s shoulder surgery left that call in little doubt.
Itoje is a two-time Lion already, having played against the All Blacks in 2017 and South Africa in 2021.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2017, 2021
Tadhg Beirne, Ireland
BIO: Beirne has plenty of credit in the bank from being so consistent in recent years. He will face a battle with Ollie Chessum as to whether he will start, but he was never in doubt for selection for this tour. He featured in all three Tests on his maiden Lions tour in 2021.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2021
Ben Earl, England
BIO: A powerful No. 8 who can also play centre, Earl will be embarking on his first Lions tour like many in this squad, although he has been a regular starter for England for five years.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Tom Curry, England
BIO: Curry was arguably England’s most influential player in the Six Nations and looks set to add to the three Test starts he earned in South Africa in 2021. His versatility to play either side of the scrum will help Farrell, too.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2021
Jac Morgan, Wales
BIO: Wales captain Morgan was one of the bright spots in a historically bad side during the Six Nations, notably with an energetic performance against England. Farrell is spoiled for choice for this part of the pack, with Morgan only adding to it. This is his debut tour.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Ollie Chessum, England
BIO: At 24 years old, this is Chessum’s debut Lions tour, and he could yet earn himself a starting spot should he impress in the tour matches in Australia. He enjoyed an excellent Six Nations with England and is renowned for his presence at the lineout. However, he is one of several starting options.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Jack Conan, Ireland
BIO: The Ireland No. 8 will return for another Lions tour after being a standout performer in 2021. Farrell has long been an admirer of his work rate and ball-carrying, and he will get the opportunity to test those skills against the Wallabies this summer.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2021
Josh van der Flier, Ireland
BIO: Van Der Flier has been so consistent for Ireland in the No. 7 jersey and it’s no surprise he’s made the tour. The 2022 World Rugby men’s 15s Player of the Year, Van Der Flier has won 73 caps for Ireland and been impressive in the majority of them.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
James Ryan, Ireland
BIO: Another versatile player who is well-known by Farrell, Ryan brings a huge physical presence to the pack. He has been a mainstay in Farrell’s Ireland squad during their recent successes and could well be in line to start alongside Maro Itoje in the second row.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Scott Cummings, Scotland
BIO: First called up to the Scotland squad in 2017, Cummings has had to be patient through is international career. He made his debut in a World Cup warm up match in 2019 and has gone on to win 42 caps. Despite missing the Six Nations through injury, he finally gets his Lions call-up this year.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Henry Pollock, England
BIO: At just 20 years old, he is the youngest and least experienced member of this Lions tour. Incredibly, he has just one half of international rugby for England under his belt — a storming second-half performance against an already beaten Wales side in the Six Nations.
However, the highly-rated talent put in a great showing for Northampton Saints against Leinster in what he later described as the “hardest game of my life.”
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Joe McCarthy, Ireland
BIO: At 24, McCarthy is one of the younger forwards, but has made a huge impact since coming onto the scene in 2022. He has 19 caps and has already played in a World Cup and won two Six Nations titles including the Grand Slam in 2023.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
SCRUM-HALVES
Jamison Gibson-Park, Ireland
BIO: He is the standout scrum-half among in the group and looks a safe bet to be a starter against Australia. He has been a fantastic servant to Farrell with Ireland in recent years, earning a place in the 2024 World Rugby Dream Team of the Year. He was also named Man of the Match twice at this year’s Six Nations.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Alex Mitchell, England
BIO: Mitchell has aided his case for a starting spot by helping Northampton Saints reach the Champions Cup final. With 23 England caps, he has the game to add dynamism to this Lions squad, although he will be hard-pressed to get ahead of Gibson-Park.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Tomos Williams, Wales
BIO: Williams is one of just two Welsh players selected by Farrell. He impressed at the Six Nations in difficult circumstances given the team’s 17-game losing streak. He is an outside choice to get a Test start, but he will be aiming to put in a superb display in the warm-up matches.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
FLY-HALVES
Finn Russell, Scotland
BIO: Russell has the magic to create something special for the Lions this summer, although he is not a nailed-on starter as you might expect. He did not set the world alight during the Six Nations, although he does not have any one big contender for his place.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2017, 2021
Fin Smith, England
BIO: A cub among the Lions squad, Smith made a name for himself during the Six Nations in which he made his England debut, notably leading England to wins over Scotland and France. It was a mighty achievement for the 22-year-old and earned him a place in Farrell’s side.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Marcus Smith, England
BIO: Smith was used at both fly-half and fullback during the Six Nations, although he impressed most at the latter. It remains to be seen where he could be used on tour, but maybe it was that versatility and dynamism that made Farrell pick him. This will be his second Lions tour.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2021
CENTRES
Bundee Aki, Ireland
BIO: Aki has been as much a part of Ireland’s success under Farrell as any other, a factor that put him in good stead ahead of the Australia tour. He started the final Test in 2021 against South Africa and will be hoping to add to that total Down Under.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2021
Huw Jones, Scotland
BIO: Jones stepped up in the absence of Sione Tuipulotu for Scotland during the Six Nations and ran the midfield well. He is a strong candidate to start this summer. This is his debut Lions tour.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Garry Ringrose, Ireland
BIO: Ringrose scored tries against England and Italy in this year’s Six Nations and has been a regular starter for Farrell’s Ireland in recent years. He will be hoping to impress Down Under and win the squad battle at centre.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Sione Tuipulotu, Scotland
BIO: Tuipulotu missed this year’s Six Nations with a pectoral muscle injury. When fit, he would be a fantastic starting option for Farrell, although his fitness remains to be seen. Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith previously said he would “absolutely” be back by the end of the season.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
OUTSIDE BACKS
James Lowe, Ireland
BIO: The Ireland winger will likely be one of the first names on Farrell’s team sheet. Lowe is in fine form this season, and his kicking game will also offer the Lions a huge amount against the Wallabies. This will be his debut tour.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Duhan van der Merwe, Scotland
BIO: Farrell was not put off by an ankle injury that has already seen him miss six weeks of action. The Scotland winger is one of the most entertaining in world rugby when he is storming forward with the ball, although it remains to be seen if he will earn a starting place.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2021
Mack Hansen, Ireland
BIO: Hansen was a crucial part of the Farrell-coached Ireland sides that lifted the 2023 and 2024 Six Nations, so it is no surprise he has been included. He adds to a talented room of wingers to take on Australia.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Elliot Daly, England
BIO: Daly has the most experience among the wingers taken by Farrell having served on the past two Lions tours. He brings versatility and long-range kicking that will benefit the side, and he is no stranger to arriving in the big moments as he did scoring England’s last-gasp try to beat France earlier this year.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: 2017, 2024
Tommy Freeman, England
BIO: Freeman will be hoping to make his debut tour one to remember as he looks to build on a superb year so far. He was one of England’s standout performers at the Six Nations, where he scored a try in all of his five starts.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
FULLBACKS
Blair Kinghorn, Scotland
BIO: The Scotland fullback is the clear choice to win the No. 15 jersey. His Lions place was in doubt due to his club rugby Toulouse limiting his availability for the warmup matches, but Farrell looked past that and included him in his squad.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Hugo Keenan, Ireland
BIO: Keenan has been a dependable option for Farrell with his consistent performances for Ireland, and he will push Kinghorn for a place should the Scotland fullback be off his game on tour.
PREVIOUS LIONS SELECTIONS: None
Source: espn.com