The excitement is building for rugby fans around the world as the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia, also known as AU 2025, is set to kick off between June and August 2025. This highly anticipated international rugby union tour will see the British & Irish Lions, a team comprised of players eligible to represent England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, take on the formidable Australia national team. But that's not all; the tour also includes matches against Australia's five Super Rugby franchises and a clash against an invitational side featuring players from Australia and New Zealand.
Stadia and Locations
The 2025 British & Irish Lions tour promises to showcase the best of Australian rugby as it traverses the country, making stops in some of Australia's most iconic cities. The tour will be hosted at several renowned stadiums across the nation:
- Sydney: Matches will be played at both the Sydney Football Stadium, with a capacity of 42,500, and the grandiose Stadium Australia, boasting an impressive capacity of 83,500.
- Melbourne: The sporting hub of Melbourne will host matches at two iconic venues - the Melbourne Cricket Ground with a whopping capacity of 100,024, and the Docklands Stadium, accommodating 56,347 eager fans.
- Brisbane: Lang Park, known for its electric atmosphere, will welcome rugby enthusiasts with its capacity of 52,500.
- Adelaide: Rugby will make its presence felt at the Adelaide Oval, with a capacity of 53,500.
- Perth: The tour heads west to Perth, where matches will be held at the impressive Perth Stadium, boasting a capacity of 60,000.
- Canberra: The action will also unfold at Canberra Stadium, which can hold 25,000 spectators.
Schedule
The schedule for this tour was announced on 19th July 2023, and it promises a thrilling series of matches that are sure to keep fans on the edge of their seats. The highlight of the tour will be the three-match test series between the British & Irish Lions and the Australia national team, a showdown that rugby enthusiasts have eagerly awaited.
The tour will kick off with warm-up matches against some of Australia's strongest rugby outfits:
- Western Force: The British & Irish Lions will face off against the Western Force at Perth Stadium on 28th June.
- Queensland Reds: A clash with the Queensland Reds is scheduled for 2nd July at Lang Park in Brisbane.
- New South Wales Waratahs: On 5th July, the British & Irish Lions will lock horns with the New South Wales Waratahs at Sydney Football Stadium.
- ACT Brumbies: Canberra Stadium will witness an exciting encounter on 9th July as the British & Irish Lions take on the ACT Brumbies.
- Invitational AU & NZ: Prior to the first test, a special match will be played in Adelaide on 12th July against an invitational team featuring players from both Australia and New Zealand.
The tour's grand finale will see the British & Irish Lions facing the Australia national team in a thrilling test series:
- First Test: On 19th July, the Lions will go head-to-head with Australia at Lang Park in Brisbane.
- Second Test: A week later, on 26th July, Melbourne will host the British & Irish Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
- Third Test: The tour will culminate on 2nd August with an epic showdown between Australia and the British & Irish Lions at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
Rugby fans from around the globe can hardly wait for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. With a packed schedule featuring some of the finest rugby talent in the world, this tour promises unforgettable moments and fierce competition, as the Lions aim to conquer the Land Down Under once again. So mark your calendars, get your jerseys ready, and prepare for a rugby extravaganza like no other as the Lions roar in Australia in 2025.