Why the Lions tour is rugby's greatest spectacle – and it's finally returning to Australia
Why should I care?
The Lions tour every four years, alternating between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
The last time the Lions came down under was 12 years ago, when the Wallabies were defeated in a thrilling series by two games to one.
It is not uncommon for people in Britain and Ireland to save for years to have the opportunity of joining a Lions tour as a fan.
Demand has grown after the last Lions tour to South Africa in 2021 was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This will be the first time fans will have followed the team in person since 2017 in New Zealand.
The Lions fanbase will spread across Australia, calling into Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne for each game of the tour.
English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish rugby supporters never support one team together, apart from every four years when the Lions tour, when long-held sporting grudges are temporarily quashed. English fans sing the Fields of Athenry and Irish fans will belt out Flower of Scotland in pubs across Australia.
How are Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England represented?
The Lions' red shirt represents Wales, the white shorts represent England, the blue socks with a green top represent Scotland and Ireland.
A sea of red jerseys has become an iconic part of the imagery of the Lions abroad, with thousands of supporters filling the host city's streets and stadiums in the colour.
Until the 1950 tour to Australia and New Zealand, the Lions wore dark blue jerseys, before changing to red.
The Lions tours are not only made up of players from each of the four countries, but also the coaching and backroom staff. The Lions will be led by Ireland coach and former Great Britain rugby league star Andy Farrell.
Four countries against one – it's hardly fair?
Four countries against one does sound unfair, especially against a Wallabies team that missed the 2023 World Cup quarter-finals, but history tells a different story.
Since their first tour in 1888, the Lions boast a winning record of 42 per cent against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa collectively.
A series win is cherished principally because it is so hard to do. Regardless of the stars available to the Lions, most have never played rugby together and have to retrain their bodies and minds to play completely differently from what they are used to doing with their own countries.
The squad need to move beyond hard and fast national cliques swiftly, learn to trust teammates who were recently sworn enemies and adapt to a game plan that is being generated on the run.
England's Lawrence Dallaglio famously said that he held his Lions series win in 1997 higher than his 2003 World Cup winner's medal. Series wins are rare and the 2025 tour to Australia represents a golden opportunity for the Lions.
Do the Wallabies have any chance?
Absolutely. Since his appointment last March, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has built a strong squad that is finally working under a cohesive game plan.
In November, the Wallabies defeated England and Wales and lost by just three points to Ireland in Dublin. Granted, they also lost to Scotland by 14 points in Edinburgh.
Schmidt is a former Ireland coach who knows the Lions squad implicitly. He is the master at studying game plans and manipulating them to give his side the best chance of upsetting the odds.
The Wallabies are heavy underdogs, but they will make life difficult for the Lions.
Where are the Lions playing?
The Lions tours are a combination of games against Australian Super Rugby teams played across the country, as well as two invitational teams: the Australia and New Zealand invitational side and the First Nations and Pasifika XV.
The Lions will use the majority of these games to test their squad and build their best possible team that will face the Wallabies in the three-game Test series.
Who are the stars of the Lions team?
The Lions captain and second-rower Maro Itoje is only the second Englishman to captain the Lions in the professional era, following England World Cup winning skipper Martin Johnson who led the side in 1997 and 2001.
Off the field, he holds a political science degree, an MBA and runs an art gallery — all while being one of the world's best players.
Melbourne-raised Sione Tuipulotu now plays for Scotland, is an exceptional centre and will provide a brilliant clash against Wallabies star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. He will be back on familiar turf with fellow Aussies, Ireland prop Finlay Bealham and winger Mack Hansen who were both raised in Canberra.
England winger Tommy Freeman is the tourists' danger man, scoring a try in all of his five starts in the Six Nations.
Can I still get tickets?
At the time of publication, there are still some tickets available for every game on the tour in Australia.
Tickets for the Western Force game in Perth and First Nations and Pasifika XV in Melbourne are available on Ticketmaster.
Every other game, including the three Tests are available on Ticketek.
I don't want to brave the cold, what pubs are showing the games in Sydney?
When the tour starts, it will be a challenge not to find a pub that is showing the games in the harbour city, but for starters the Marlborough Hotel in Newtown, the Woollahra Hotel and the Sporting Globe on King Street Wharf are showing every game of the tour live.
On Wednesday 30 July Cheers Bar on George Street is hosting a Q and A with former Lions and Wales five-eighth Dan Biggar, who toured Australia in 2013.
On Thursday 31 July, Establishment Bar on George Street is hosting 'the Good, the Bad and the Rugby' podcast live with former England World Cup winner and member of the royal family Mike Tindall.
How will this tour impact Australia economically?
The tour is expected to pour $200 million into the Australia economy during the tour, with fans packing out pubs, hotels and restaurants.
Cash-strapped Rugby Australia took out an $80 million loan two years ago and the $100 million the organisation are expected to pocket is crucial to rugby's financial future in Australia.
As part of a new joint-venture organisational structure the Lions and Australia will share all commercial and government revenue, ticket revenue and broadcast revenue – helping to lift RA's windfall from about $40 million on the 2013 tour.
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"I love our home course and that's going to serve me, and I'm going to try and make it an advantage." While she's set to compete in the next Olympics in Los Angeles, Fox is also looking beyond her paddling career and has partnered with charity organisation High Impact Athletes, with sponsors pledging an amount for each "clean" gate on the course. "It's about looking beyond sport and going, how else can I have an impact, and how do I keep this interesting and exciting, and what's my legacy going to be?,'' she said. "Each race, each run, each gate that I take, I'm pledging my support for this charity, which provides safe, clean drinking water for people around the world, and bringing people on board with me." There's been some rough water for Jessica Fox since her Paris Olympics medal blitz, but the canoe great feels her title defence is on track 100 days out from the world championships in Penrith. 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"Even the best athletes make mistakes, so it was disappointing, I was upset, I had a good cry about it, and then I just got back on the horse the next day, got back in my boat and had another crack. "I'm fine-tuning things and I'm still in a training and building phase at the moment before the worlds, and I'm taking in as much info as I can." She said the gates hung quite low in Spain, and she was too cautious in her approach. But after taking time out to savour her Olympic success, also winning gold in the C1 while her sister Noemie won the kayak cross, she felt she was building nicely for the world championships. Fox admitted the pressure of defending her title on her home course could be on par with the Olympics. "Paris was magical in every way and it went perfectly, and was a very successful campaign, and fantastic to perform in that way,'' she said. "Now looking forward, obviously you're always going to have that expectation and target on your back, you're the reigning Olympic champion, reigning world champion in the kayak, and that hovers there, like a cloud, if you let it. "Everyone's hungry for that race, and just because you're world number one or just because you're the reigning champion doesn't mean it's different. "Coming into a world championship at home is going to feel very much like an Olympics in terms of the pressure and the expectation, but I think we'll be ready. "I love our home course and that's going to serve me, and I'm going to try and make it an advantage." While she's set to compete in the next Olympics in Los Angeles, Fox is also looking beyond her paddling career and has partnered with charity organisation High Impact Athletes, with sponsors pledging an amount for each "clean" gate on the course. "It's about looking beyond sport and going, how else can I have an impact, and how do I keep this interesting and exciting, and what's my legacy going to be?,'' she said. "Each race, each run, each gate that I take, I'm pledging my support for this charity, which provides safe, clean drinking water for people around the world, and bringing people on board with me."
