SYDNEY (AP) — The British and Irish Lions will play a combined Australia-New Zealand team in Adelaide in one of nine matches on their 2025 tour of Australia.
The Lions will face the Wallabies in test matches at Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney and play all five Australian Super Rugby clubs. And, for the first time since 1989, the Lions will line up against an Anzac XV.
Combining players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the Lions tour either Australia, New Zealand or South Africa every four years. Accompanied by a famously passionate travelling contingent, the Lions remain one of world rugby’s greatest drawcards.
They beat Australia 2-1 on their last visit to Australia in 2013. The Wallabies won the 2001 series 2-1, two years after winning the World Cup.
“The British and Irish Lions tour is one of the great sporting festivals — it is a real landmark of Australian and world sport,” Rugby Australia chief executive and former Wallaby Phil Waugh said. “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.”
With Eddie Jones back in charge for his second stint as Wallabies coach, the Australians have lost their first two tests of the 2023 season and will need to build cohesion quickly ahead of the World Cup starting September in France.
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British and Irish Lions matches in 2025:
— June 28 vs. Western Force at Perth
— July 2 vs. Queensland Reds at Brisbane
— July 5 vs. New South Wales Waratahs at Sydney
— July 9 vs. ACT Brumbies at Canberra
— July 12 vs. Invitational Australia-NZ XV at Adelaide
— July 19, 1st test vs. Australia at Brisbane
— July 22 vs Melbourne Rebels at Melbourne
,— July 26, 2nd test vs. Australia at Melbourne
— Aug. 2, 3rd test vs. Australia at Sydney
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