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The British & Irish Lions travel to Australia for a three-Test series in 2025.
It's the first time the Lions have played against the Wallabies since 2013, when captain Sam Warburton and coach Warren Gatland led the tourists to a 2-1 series win.
The scarcity of these games and unique selection process maintains the mystique of the Lions as a team and a brand in the modern era.
Even though results on the field have not always been resoundingly successful — the 2013 tour remains the Lions' only series win of the 21st century — the appeal and fascination undoubtedly remain.
MORE: British and Irish Lions 2025: Full squad announcement, match schedule for Australia tour
Who are the British & Irish Lions rugby union team?
The British and Irish Lions are an invitational rugby union team that selects players from the four rugby-playing nations of the British Isles and the island of Ireland: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The Lions tour the three major Southern Hemisphere rugby nations — Australia, New Zealand and South Africa — on a rotational basis.
On the tours, they play local teams. Previously, these were provincial and/or state sides, but now tour matches are predominantly against Australian, South African and New Zealand Super Rugby franchises, along with specifically convened invitational teams.
For example, between the second and third Tests against Australia in 2025, the Lions will play the First Nations & Pasifika XV, drawn from players of Australian indigenous and Pacific Island heritage.
Why are they called the British & Irish Lions?
A combined British Isles team, featuring only players from England, Wales and Scotland, toured for the first time in 1888, visiting New Zealand and Australia.
On their 1924 visit to South Africa, the tourists wore ties featuring a lion motif taken from the UK's royal coat of arms. Local journalists nicknamed them the Lions and the shorthand stuck.
For the 1950 tour of Australia and New Zealand, the Lions officially adopted the nickname for the first time. This proved to be a historic trip, as it was also their maiden outing in the iconic red jerseys the Lions have worn ever since.
What are the British & Irish Lions selection rules?
There are no selection criteria beyond the fact the players must be eligible to represent England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales in international rugby.
Players from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are eligible to play for the Irish rugby team.
Although form from the preceding Six Nations Championship – contested by England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy annually between early February and mid-March — is typically influential in the selection process, there is no requirement for a player to be an established international.
For example, highly rated Northampton Saints back row Henry Pollock was selected for the 2025 tour despite only winning his first England cap in the final game of this year's Six Nations.
MORE: Six Nations 2025 results and final standings
How often are British & Irish Lions tours?
Lions tours are quadrennial events, taking place every four years.
Trips to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have been on a regular rotation since the 1989 visit Down Under, meaning the Lions face each of their traditional opponents every 12 years.
After the 2025 tour of Australia, the Lions will visit New Zealand in 2029. They tied the 2017 Test series against the All Blacks before losing 2-1 in South Africa in 2021.
Who is the current British & Irish Lions coach?
After three successive tours under New Zealander Warren Gatland, the Lions will be led by Andy Farrell in Australia in 2025.
A former rugby league and rugby union international for England, Farrell led Ireland to back-to-back Six Nations successes in 2023 and 2024.
Farrell's son Owen, England's all-time record points scorer, was left out of the Lions touring party for Australia after form and fitness struggles.
MORE: British and Irish Lions 2025: Full squad announcement, match schedule for Australia tour
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