Lions Tour 2025

The 2025 Lions tour fixtures in full

Saturday 28 June: v Western Force, Optus Stadium, Perth
Wednesday 2 July: v Queensland Reds, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Saturday 5 July: v New South Wales Waratahs, Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Wednesday 9 July: v ACT Brumbies, GIO Stadium, Canberra
Saturday 12 July: v Invitational Australia & NZ XV, Adelaide Oval
Saturday 19 July: First Test, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Tuesday 22 July: v Melbourne Rebels, Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
Saturday 26 July: Second Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday 2 August: Third Test, Accor Stadium, Sydney

Given that I live in Sydney, needless to say I'm incredibly excited about this! Although the excitement is tempered somewhat by the fact that you can tell the ticket prices are going to be insanely expensive yet very high demand.

Rugby Australia are offering a package that guarantees you being able to buy 2 tickets for each match of the tour. Not tour tickets, but just access to be able to buy them plus some merchandise.

It costs 1900 AUD - around £1000!!!

Well, thanks for the offer to put us all up at your place in Sydney. I hope you have the right creature comforts for people like us. It is a Lions tour after all, and we don't want to scrimp....

Seems a little strange that there isn't an A fixture. I had high hopes of going to this, but the last tour has put me off a little bit. Although I do expect a different coach this time around. I do have means of getting accommodation in Brisbane, so might look at a little bit of it, unless the boss has other plans for overseas travel ha.

I'm quite liking the sound of the invitational game, though my preference would still be to drop some of the clubs games and have the likes of Georgia, Samoa, whoever in there. Just seems like a big missed opportunity.

Good news to that the PRL and URC have agreed their finishing dates allowing a better run in for the Lions.

Bad (potential) news: would still prefer a head coach not currently attached to 1 of the 4 teams.

Beeb:
Meanwhile, an agreement between the Lions, Premiership Rugby and the United Rugby Championship will ensure an unprecedented two-week preparation period before the tour opener in Perth against Western Force on 28 June.

On previous tours the Premiership final has taken place only a week before the Lions' opening fixture, hampering the tourists' preparation.

"I would also like to thank Premiership Rugby and the United Rugby Championship, whose co-operation has resulted in the longest preparation period for a tour in recent history, which gives us the best possible chance of a series victory," added Calveley.

Calveley's counterpart at Rugby Australia, the former Wallaby flanker Phil Waugh, has called a Lions tour "one of the great sporting festivals".

"Rugby Australia is looking forward to welcoming back the Lions for the first time in 12 years - as well as the tens of thousands of Lions fans from the northern hemisphere," Waugh said.

"It is an exciting fixture of matches all around the country with the Lions taking on our Super Rugby franchises, three massive Test matches, and a marquee match in Adelaide featuring a combined invitational Australia-New Zealand side."

Ieuan Evans, chairman of The British & Irish Lions, added: "British & Irish Lions tours are unique in the world of sport, both in terms of the ultimate challenge they represent and the cultural impact they have.

"Lions tours to Australia have always been memorable occasions and the 2025 tour promises to be no different."

The Lions have toured Australia on three previous occasions, winning the series in 1989 and 2013 and losing to the then-world champion Wallabies in 2001.

Four years ago Warren Gatland's side lost 2-1 to South Africa in a series played out in empty stadiums during the Covid pandemic.

Ireland boss Andy Farrell is widely expected to succeed Gatland as Lions head coach, having been a part of the coaching team in 2013 and 2017.