British and Irish Lions tour 2025: Fixtures, schedule, squad and how to watch
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Lions chief executive says Andy Farrell in ‘strong position' to return as coach
Andy Farrell's credentials to remain British and Irish Lions head coach for the 2029 tour to New Zealand have been endorsed by chief executive Ben Calveley. Farrell has steered the Lions to their first series triumph since 2013 with Saturday's 22-12 defeat by the Wallabies in Sydney the only loss of their nine-fixture visit to Australia. Even if their march towards the whitewash was conclusively halted at the final hurdle, the 50-year-old Ireland boss has presided over a successful tour notable for its results, squad cohesion, commitment to playing rugby and the character shown to win the second Test in the dying seconds. #Lions2025: completed ✅ — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) August 2, 2025 Planning for 2029 is already underway with Calveley promising a similar structure and number of games to the itinerary just completed, although the final midweek fixture will be looked at closely because of the disruption it causes to Test preparations. Farrell is the favourite to lead that expedition and Calveley suggests that the most coveted post in British and Irish rugby is currently his to lose. 'Andy's done an incredible job and I have really enjoyed working with him,' Calveley said. 'I go right back to when I first met him to offer him the role. You could see right then that we had made the right decision in appointing Andy. 'Since he has started full time back in December, he has brought a real focus to the operation which has ultimately resulted in success on the field of play. We will now give him a bit of time off. 'When it comes to our appointments for future tours, we will start the process in about two years and I don't think it would be right to comment on where it ends up. But certainly he has put himself in a very strong position, let's put it that way.' Series winners, 2025 🏆🦁 #Lions2025 — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) August 2, 2025 Australia entered the series ranked eighth in the world and their credibility as an ongoing Lions tour destination was at stake before the Suncorp Stadium opener. Their thumping in Brisbane was an inauspicious start, but at Melbourne Cricket Ground they went within 51 seconds of levelling the series before emerging emphatic winners on Saturday. The Lions won the series by an aggregate score of just 68-67 and their opponents led for more time across the three Tests. Factor in profits that are 'significantly higher than anything we've seen in the past' and it is clear that the Wallabies will continue to be adversaries for the elite of British and Irish rugby. 'I would absolutely envisage returning to Australia. I know there's been loads of speculation about whether that would be the case or not, but we've had a wonderful tour here,' Calveley said. 'It's 100 per cent our ambition to return and we would want the next one to be bigger and better than this one.' The Lions are seen as potentially being vulnerable to the proposed new breakaway franchise league R360, but Calveley insists their pulling power remains as strong as ever. 'You have seen these quotes come from players at every stage throughout the tour is that they remain absolutely committed to the Lions,' he said. 'We all know that we have our place in the calendar baked into regulation 9 and I wouldn't see that changing in the future. 'Our relationship with the professional game is better than it has ever been and I would see that continuing in the future.'
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Lions tour ratings as Jac Morgan rises to the challenge but Ireland star 'completely wretched'
Lions tour ratings as Jac Morgan rises to the challenge but Ireland star 'completely wretched' Some members of Andy Farrell's squad shone Down Under while others underwhelmed Morgan has earned solid reviews on his maiden Lions campaign (Image:) The British & Irish Lions' tour of Australia is done and dusted, with Andy Farrell's side returning home with a series win despite missing out on a historic clean sweep against the Wallabies. It has been another thrilling summer of rugby, which kicked off with defeat to Argentina in Dublin over six weeks ago and culminated in another loss in Sydney as Farrell's men were denied a 3-0 series win. However, those two matches were the only times that the Lions tasted defeat as they recorded eight successive victories on Australian soil before Saturday's eventful third Test. As ever, some tourists shone during their time Down Under, with others failing to live up to expectations. In the wake of the tour ending, some of the country's top rugby journalists and pundits have given their take on who impressed and who didn't, handing out individual scores to those that took on the Wallabies. While he may have been the lone Welshman in the squad for much of the tour following an early injury to Tomos Williams, flanker Jac Morgan did his country proud as he flew the flag for Wales with distinction. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. The Ospreys star may have missed out on selection for the first clash with Australia - in what was the first Lions Test to not feature a Welsh player since 1896 - but he played a crucial, if controversial role in winning the second Test while he also scored a try in the third having come off the bench. Morgan, who proved to be a hugely popular tourist amongst his team-mates and supporters, has subsequently received a solid set of scores from some of the journalists that watched him in action across the series. The BBC and the Press Association have both awarded his efforts with a 7.5, while Sky Sports and The Telegraph have scored his performances across the Tests as a seven. Article continues below He has been hailed as "a force off the bench" by PA, with both Sky and the Telegraph noting the "huge... superb" impact he made as a replacement. The BBC added that Morgan "was terrific against the Reds and First Nations and Pasifika, and totally deserved his two Test caps," before describing him as "a serious player," while the review from Sky said the 25-year-old "flew the Welsh flag on his own for the most part and rose to the challenge". Meanwhile, the highest praise was reserved for the official player of the tour, Tadhg Beirne, while captain Maro Itoje, forwards Dan Sheehan and Tom Curry and backs Hugo Keenan and Finn Russell were among the other highest scorers across the board. Beirne was viewed by some as a contentious pick by Farrell when the squad was selected earlier this year, but the Ireland star more than justified his involvement with three huge performances across the Test series, getting on the scoresheet in the second clash in Melbourne. He has now earned rave reviews, with the BBC rating his series performance as a 9.5 while Sky and PA went with a nine and the Telegraph awarded him an eight. Beirne is credited by the latter with "changing the momentum of the series" with his "sensational" displays, while the BBC described him as "an utter machine", Sky as "electric" and PA as "a worthy player of the tour winner". Itoje, meanwhile also scored highly, with the BBC awarding him a nine for his efforts as captain across the series. The England lock "can be proud of his performances and the way he led the side," according to Sky, while PA described him as a "bona fide Lions great". Ireland hooker Sheehan was hailed as "a player of the series contender who is redefining the role of hooker" by PA, while Tom Curry was labelled "sensational" and "demonic" by the BBC, with the Telegraph adding that the England star "completely vindicated Farrell's faith in him." Keenan - whose last-gasp try won the second Test and, with it, the series in Melbourne - was hailed as "the hero" of that match by Sky, while PA said he "secured Lions immortality" in the process. Russell, meanwhile, "was in 'player of the series' territory" before a very difficult day at the office in Sydney, according to the BBC, with the Scotland fly-half described as "utterly brilliant at times" by Sky. However, at the other end of the spectrum, some of Farrell's men underwhelmed, with Ireland centre Bundee Aki getting the lowest individual score of the lot as The Telegraph rated his series performance as a three overall. "Urgh," the damning assessment began. "Farrell was vindicated in some of his controversial picks (Curry, Beirne) but his faith in 35-year-old Aki was utterly misplaced. Completely wretched in the third Test." Aki's international team-mate James Lowe also scored poorly across the board, with Sky's rating of a six the highest he received. The Telegraph, who gave him a four, wrote that the wing was "defensively all over the shop and [his] handling was not great either," while the BBC said he had "a poor tour" and PA said he "performed below his usual standard". Another Irishman, hooker Ronan Kelleher, also received a score of four from The Telegraph, as the review claimed that "as soon as he came on in all three Tests, the line-out started wobbling like a jelly". You can find the scores for all 27 players that featured across the three Tests against Australia below. 2025 British & Irish Lions Test series ratings (BBC, Sky, Telegraph and PA) Backs: Hugo Keenan - BBC: 8, Sky: 8, Telegraph: 7.5, PA: 7.5 - BBC: 8, Sky: 8, Telegraph: 7.5, PA: 7.5 Blair Kinghorn - BBC: 7, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6 - BBC: 7, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6 Tommy Freeman: BBC: 6.5, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6 BBC: 6.5, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6 James Lowe: BBC: 5.5, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 4, PA: 5 BBC: 5.5, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 4, PA: 5 Huw Jones: BBC: 7.5, Sky: 7, Telegraph: 6.5, PA: 6.5 BBC: 7.5, Sky: 7, Telegraph: 6.5, PA: 6.5 Bundee Aki: BBC: 6, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 3, PA: 5 BBC: 6, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 3, PA: 5 Sione Tuipulotu: BBC: 7, Sky: 7, Telegraph: 7, PA: 7 BBC: 7, Sky: 7, Telegraph: 7, PA: 7 Owen Farrell: BBC: 6, Sky: 5, Telegraph: 6.5, PA: 6.5 BBC: 6, Sky: 5, Telegraph: 6.5, PA: 6.5 Marcus Smith: BBC: 6.5, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6 BBC: 6.5, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6 Finn Russell: BBC: 8.5, Sky: 9, Telegraph: 7.5, PA: 7.5 BBC: 8.5, Sky: 9, Telegraph: 7.5, PA: 7.5 Jamison Gibson-Park: BBC: 7.5, Sky: 8, Telegraph: 8, PA: 7.5 BBC: 7.5, Sky: 8, Telegraph: 8, PA: 7.5 Alex Mitchell: BBC: 6.5, Sky: 5, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6.5 Article continues below Forwards:
South Wales Argus
2 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Lions chief executive says Andy Farrell in ‘strong position' to return as coach
Farrell has steered the Lions to their first series triumph since 2013 with Saturday's 22-12 defeat by the Wallabies in Sydney the only loss of their nine-fixture visit to Australia. Even if their march towards the whitewash was conclusively halted at the final hurdle, the 50-year-old Ireland boss has presided over a successful tour notable for its results, squad cohesion, commitment to playing rugby and the character shown to win the second Test in the dying seconds. Planning for 2029 is already underway with Calveley promising a similar structure and number of games to the itinerary just completed, although the final midweek fixture will be looked at closely because of the disruption it causes to Test preparations. Farrell is the favourite to lead that expedition and Calveley suggests that the most coveted post in British and Irish rugby is currently his to lose. 'Andy's done an incredible job and I have really enjoyed working with him,' Calveley said. Ben Calveley says Andy Farrell is in a strong position to return as coach (David Davies/PA) 'I go right back to when I first met him to offer him the role. You could see right then that we had made the right decision in appointing Andy. 'Since he has started full time back in December, he has brought a real focus to the operation which has ultimately resulted in success on the field of play. We will now give him a bit of time off. 'When it comes to our appointments for future tours, we will start the process in about two years and I don't think it would be right to comment on where it ends up. But certainly he has put himself in a very strong position, let's put it that way.' Australia entered the series ranked eighth in the world and their credibility as an ongoing Lions tour destination was at stake before the Suncorp Stadium opener. Their thumping in Brisbane was an inauspicious start, but at Melbourne Cricket Ground they went within 51 seconds of levelling the series before emerging emphatic winners on Saturday. The Lions won the series by an aggregate score of just 68-67 and their opponents led for more time across the three Tests. Factor in profits that are 'significantly higher than anything we've seen in the past' and it is clear that the Wallabies will continue to be adversaries for the elite of British and Irish rugby. 'I would absolutely envisage returning to Australia. I know there's been loads of speculation about whether that would be the case or not, but we've had a wonderful tour here,' Calveley said. 'It's 100 per cent our ambition to return and we would want the next one to be bigger and better than this one.' The Lions are seen as potentially being vulnerable to the proposed new breakaway franchise league R360, but Calveley insists their pulling power remains as strong as ever. 'You have seen these quotes come from players at every stage throughout the tour is that they remain absolutely committed to the Lions,' he said. 'We all know that we have our place in the calendar baked into regulation 9 and I wouldn't see that changing in the future. 'Our relationship with the professional game is better than it has ever been and I would see that continuing in the future.'
