British & Irish Lions Tour of Australia 2025: Everything you need to know, including schedule, how to watch

The British & Irish Lions are set to embark on their 2025 tour, returning to Australia for the first time since their triumph in the 2013 series. Now under the guidance of head coach Andy Farrell, the Lions will feature in a 10-match schedule, including a historic fixture in Dublin, and a three-Test series Down Under against the Wallabies.

Below, Sports Mole provides a breakdown of all the key details for the upcoming tour, which gets underway on June 20, 2025, and runs until August 2, 2025.

Lions tour of Australia: Overview

The British & Irish Lions squad brings together the best players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Maro Itoje has been elected as the captain for the upcoming tour, with the team comprising 38 players: 15 from Ireland, 13 from England, 8 from Scotland, and 2 from Wales.

Notably, 26 players have received first-time call-ups for this Lions tour, illustrating the fresh and dynamic approach expected under Farrell's leadership.

The British & Irish Lions began their 2025 campaign on a disappointing note, suffering a narrow 28-24 defeat to Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on June 20. This loss marked a historic moment, as it was the first time the Lions had ever been beaten by Los Pumas. 

Since arriving in Australia, though, the Lions have managed a transformation in confidence and intensity. Their opening tour games featured two dominant statements of intent. In Perth, they dismantled Western Force 54–7 before a club‑record home crowd of over 46,000, producing eight tries, including a breathtaking length‑of‑the‑field effort, and a powerful display from lock Joe McCarthy 

Their momentum only heightened four days later in Brisbane when they thrashed the Queensland Reds 52–12, again crossing the whitewash eight times, spearheaded by sharp service from Jamison Gibson‑Park, inspired distribution from Finn Russell, and another commanding shift from captain Maro Itoje 

A slightly tougher challenge emerged in Sydney against the Waratahs, where the Lions eked out a 21‑10 win that exposed some erratic handling and discipline issues, hinting at areas requiring attention. But the real test arrived in Canberra on 9 July 2025, against the formidable Brumbies. 

Despite selecting almost their full-strength side, the Lions began poorly and allowed the Brumbies to strike first, forcing a response. However, momentum swung with first‑half tries from Ollie Chessum, James Lowe, and replacement Marcus Smith following Blair Kinghorn’s injury. After the break, the Lions secured further scores through Garry Ringrose and a powerful driving maul finished by Josh van der Flier, sealing a final 36–24 victory 

Despite the win, cracks still appeared: the Lions conceded four tries, coughed up over a dozen penalties, especially at the breakdown, and committed numerous handling errors. Still, positives were also evident: strong scrum and line‑out foundations, standout game‑management by Russell, a dynamic maul and a brace of quality wing play.

Lions tour of Australia: Fixtures

The Lions' 2025 tour schedule is as follows:

• Friday, 20 June: vs. Argentina - Aviva Stadium, Dublin (8:00 PM BST)


• Saturday, 28 June: vs. Western Force - Optus Stadium, Perth


• Wednesday, 2 July: vs. Queensland Reds - Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane


• Saturday, 5 July: vs. NSW Waratahs - Allianz Stadium, Sydney


• Wednesday, 9 July: vs. ACT Brumbies - GIO Stadium, Canberra


• Saturday, 12 July: vs. Invitational Australia & New Zealand XV - Adelaide Oval, Adelaide


• Saturday, 19 July: First Test vs. Australia - Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane


• Tuesday, 22 July: vs. First Nations & Pasifika XV - Marvel Stadium, Melbourne


• Saturday, 26 July: Second Test vs. Australia - Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne


• Saturday, 2 August: Third Test vs. Australia - Accor Stadium, Sydney

The Lions tour features a mix of competitive warm-up matches, which will provide the team with ample preparation before they enter the high-profile Tests on July 19.

Lions tour of Australia: Team

Head coach Farrell has assembled what many feel is a balanced squad, blending seasoned internationals with emerging talents. Here are the 21 forwards and 17 backs who will travel to the Southern Hemisphere later this month:

Forwards: Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Jack Conan (Leinster), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Ben Earl (Saracens), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), Maro Itoje (Saracens) - Captain, Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), Jac Morgan (Ospreys), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), Andrew Porter (Leinster), James Ryan (Leinster), Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Will Stuart (Bath Rugby), Josh van der Flier (Leinster).

Backs: Bundee Aki (Connacht), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster), Mack Hansen (Connacht), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Hugo Keenan (Leinster), Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse), James Lowe (Leinster), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Finn Russell (Bath Rugby), Fin Smith (Northampton Saints), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby), Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby).

Lions tour of Australia: How to watch on TV

United Kingdom & Ireland: All matches will be broadcast live exclusively on Sky Sports, continuing their long-standing partnership with the Lions. Subscribers can also stream games via Sky Go.

Wales: S4C will provide free-to-air highlights, including live coverage of the Argentina match. Australia: Live coverage will be available on Nine and Stan Sport.

Radio: TalkSport holds the exclusive radio rights in the UK, offering live commentary of all matches.

Written by
Devesh Jaganath