Historic combined XV game confirmed as 2025 Lions tour fixtures announced

Patrick McCarry

We love to see the unions coming together like this.

The British & Lions tour fixtures have been announced and there is an historic Combined XV match, as well as the three-Test series against Australia.

Two years out from the tour – giving us all plenty of time to plot, plan and save – the Lions announced their playing schedule. The Test clashes will take place on 19 July, 26 July and 2 August with respective games in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.

There are a number of exciting elements to the 2025 tour. The First Test will take place at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium with the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), and its capacity of 100,000, hosting the Second Test. Should that game sell-out, it would set a Lions Tour record.

The final Test will be played in front of over 80,000 fans at Sydney’s Accor Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday 2 August.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the entire tour is a Lions game against a combined, ‘invitational Australian and New Zealand team’, in a clash at the Adelaide Oval. Looking at both squads right now – it would potentially team up the likes of Beauden Barrett and Ardie Savea with Will Skelton, Samu Kerevi, and more.

Ardie Savea and Rieko Ioane of the All Blacks. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Lions tour fixtures for 2025

For 2025, the Lions Tour fixtures will not kick off until two weeks after both the English Premiership and the United Rugby Championship wrap up. Further detail around pre-tour activities, including a pre-tour warm up fixture, will be announced in due course.

Ben Calveley, CEO of The British & Irish Lions, commented: “We are delighted to announce the Tour schedule today as we look ahead to what is to be one of the most eagerly anticipated Series in history. I want to take the opportunity to thank Rugby Australia for the strong level of collaboration in planning for this tour and we look forward to continuing to work with them over the next two years.

“I would also like to thank Premiership Rugby and the United Rugby Championship, whose cooperation has resulted in the longest preparation period for a tour in recent history, which gives us the best possible chance of a Series victory. We look forward to continuing to work with our hosts and our partners to create one of the best tours ever.”

Rugby Australia CEO, Phil Waugh added: “We are 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. 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.”

Lions Tour fixtures – Australia 2025 (kick off times TBC)

• 28 June, Lions vs Western Force, Perth (Optus Stadium)
• 2 July, Lions vs Queensland Reds, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium)
• 5 July, Lions vs NSW Waratahs, Sydney (Allianz Stadium)
• 9 July, Lions vs ACT Brumbies, Canberra (GIO Stadium)
• 12 July, Lions vs Invitational AU & NZ, Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
• 19 July, 1st Test, Lions vs Wallabies, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium)
• 22 July, Lions vs Melbourne Rebels, Melbourne (Marvel Stadium)
• 26 July, 2nd Test, Lions vs Wallabies, Melbourne (Melbourne Cricket Ground/MCG)
• 2 Aug, 3rd Test, Lions vs Wallabies, Sydney (Accor Stadium)

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