British & Irish Lions

A Unique Institution

There is nothing quite like the British and Irish Lions in world sport. Every four years, the best players from the four home unions are brought together under a single banner, assembled into a squad in a matter of weeks, and sent to face one of the most formidable teams on the planet on their own territory. The Lions do not exist as a permanent entity — there is no year-round coaching staff, no club infrastructure, no regular fixture list. The team is conjured into being, performs for a few intense weeks, and then dissolves. It is this transience that gives the concept its romance and its challenge.

History

Lions tours date back to 1888, though the concept of a formally recognised British Isles touring side did not crystallise until the early twentieth century. The modern era of Lions rugby is generally considered to have begun in 1974, when Willie John McBride’s unbeaten side swept through South Africa, winning the Test series and establishing a template for what a Lions tour could achieve. The 1997 tour to South Africa, led by Martin Johnson and coached by Ian McGeechan, revived the concept for the professional age and proved that the Lions retained their power to captivate even in an era of saturated fixture lists.

More recent tours have produced extraordinary drama. The 2013 series victory in Australia under Warren Gatland ended a sixteen-year wait for a Lions series win. The 2017 tour to New Zealand ended in a drawn series against the All Blacks — a result that felt like a victory given the hosts’ dominance at the time. The 2021 tour to South Africa, played largely behind closed doors due to the pandemic, was won by the Springboks, who took the deciding Test in Cape Town.

Selection

The Lions head coach is appointed approximately a year before the tour, and it is this individual who ultimately selects the touring squad of around 36 players. Selection is based primarily on performances in the Six Nations, domestic leagues and European competitions in the season preceding the tour. The process is inherently subjective and generates intense debate across all four nations — who is picked, who is overlooked, and which national style of play will be favoured are questions that dominate the rugby conversation for months.

Being selected for a Lions tour remains one of the highest honours in the sport. For players, it represents recognition not merely as the best in their country, but as the best across four nations. For those who make the Test team, it is the pinnacle of a career in the union code.

Tour Rotation

The Lions tour on a fixed rotation between the three major southern hemisphere rugby nations:

• Australia — most recently 2025
• New Zealand — next scheduled for 2029
• South Africa — next scheduled for 2033

A typical tour spans five to six weeks and includes warm-up matches against provincial and franchise sides before the three-Test series that determines the outcome of the tour. The warm-up fixtures serve a dual purpose: giving the coaching team time to assess combinations, and allowing the host nation to build excitement as the Lions make their way through the country.

The 2025 Tour to Australia

The most recent Lions tour took place in the summer of 2025, with the squad travelling to Australia under the guidance of head coach Andy Farrell, who stepped away from his Ireland role for the duration of the tour. The series was eagerly anticipated, with Australia building towards their 2027 home World Cup and the Lions boasting a generation of Irish, English and Scottish players at or near the peak of their powers.

Where to Watch

Lions tours have historically been broadcast in the United Kingdom by Sky Sports, which has held exclusive UK rights for recent tours. All Test matches and many of the midweek fixtures have been shown live, with streaming available via Sky Go and NOW TV. The sheer scale of interest in a Lions tour — regularly attracting audiences far beyond rugby’s usual viewership — has led to periodic calls for Test matches to be broadcast on free-to-air television, though no such arrangement has been made to date.

Visit our UK TV Schedule for the latest broadcast information.

Explore our Best British & Irish page for player profiles, or see the Six Nations guide to understand how Lions selection often begins.