Kiss to lead combined Australia-NZ team against Lions
Les Kiss will be the head coach of a combined Australia and New Zealand side that will play the British and Irish Lions this summer.Kiss, who will take over from Joe Schmidt as Australia coach in 2026, will have former All Blacks head coach Ian Foster as an assistant for the game in Adelaide on Saturday, 12 July.It will be the first combined Australia and New Zealand team since 1989 and they will play a Lions side who start a three-Test series against Australia on Saturday, 19 July in Brisbane."It's a privilege to be able to lead the coaching group for the combined AUNZ Invitational XV," said Kiss, currently Queensland Reds head coach."The British and Irish Lions are one of world sport's most renowned teams and to be able to play them at an iconic Australian venue such as the Adelaide Oval will be an incredible spectacle."I'm looking forward to working with a coach like Ian who has wide-ranging experience at the highest level of the game and linking up with the wider management in due course."World Cup-winning former Australia international and ex-Tonga coach Toutai Kefu will lead a First Nations and Pasifika XV that will play the Lions on Tuesday, 22 July in between the first and second Tests against Australia. "I feel honoured to be named head coach of the first ever First Nations and Pasifika XV," said Kefu."First Nations and Pasifika people contribute massively to the game all around the world and the significance of this game in celebrating those ongoing contributions can't be overstated, especially against a team with the history of the British and Irish Lions."
What are the British and Irish Lions fixtures?
Friday, 20 June - Lions v Argentina, Dublin (Aviva Stadium)Saturday, 28 June - Lions v Western Force, Perth (Optus Stadium)Wednesday, 2 July - Lions v Queensland Reds, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium)Saturday, 5 July - Lions v NSW Waratahs, Sydney (Allianz Stadium)Wednesday, 9 July - Lions v ACT Brumbies, Canberra (GIO Stadium)Saturday, 12 July - Lions v Invitational AU & NZ, Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)Saturday, 19 July - Lions v Australia, first Test, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium)Tuesday, 22 July - Lions v First Nations & Pasifika XV, Melbourne (Marvel Stadium)Saturday, 26 July - Lions v Australia, second Test, Melbourne (Melbourne Cricket Ground/MCG)Saturday, 2 August - Lions v Australia, third Test, Sydney (Accor Stadium)All matches kick off at 11:00 BST apart from the game in Dublin which starts at 20:00 BST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
38 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Owen Farrell to join Sky Sports punditry team for Lions opener
Owen Farrell will join the Sky Sports punditry team for the British and Irish Lions ' match against Argentina in Dublin a week on Friday. It is understood that this commitment would not rule the 33-year-old out of a tour call-up, even though Farrell has not played for his club, Racing 92, since early May. Farrell will be unveiled on Thursday as part of a Sky Sports line-up that also features Telegraph Sport columnists Warren Gatland, Will Greenwood and Sir Ian McGeechan as well as Dan Biggar, Sam Warburton and Ronan O'Gara. Kyle Sinckler, John Barclay and Danielle Waterman are all set to appear at some point over the coming weeks, though Farrell is understood to be working only on the Aviva Stadium fixture at this stage. Alex Payne will front the coverage, which will be studio-based for the warm-up matches until moving over to Australia when the Test series begins on July 19. Gatland, Biggar and O'Gara are due to travel as well, though Warburton, who captained the Lions in 2013 and 2017, will remain in the United Kingdom in a tactical analysis role. Biggar, who retired from playing this season, has been earmarked as a lead summariser for Sky Sports, four years after starting all three Tests for the Lions against South Africa at fly-half. Andy Farrell, the Lions head coach, suggested that there could be a way for Owen to be involved in the tour despite not picking his son in the initial squad of 38 that was unveiled on May 8. 'He was in the conversation, obviously,' said Andy Farrell of Owen. 'An experienced player like that who is going for his fourth tour. You cover all bases, that's for sure, with the leadership qualities and all of that. But we got to a point where, like a few other players as well, we feel that Owen's still trying to find his way a little bit back to fitness. 'There's 38 picked, which leaves a couple of slots open for us during the track if and when needed. And Owen, like a few other guys as well, would be in that type of bracket. 'We've left ourselves some wiggle room to be able to see how people progress because there are a few guys that are trying to play back into fitness, form, etc, so we'll see what we've got and if or when that's needed, we'd like to call them. 'Do we need a blend of a player that can play a couple different positions? Is there a player that's carrying a bit of an injury and might need to manage it within training? Is there a guy that might be over for three weeks, but he's definitely worth taking? Is it leadership that we need? We'll see.' Fin Smith and Marcus Smith are the fly-halves who are currently part of the Lions' preparations in Portugal, with centres Sione Tuipulotu and Bundee Aki also having joined up with the squad. Owen Farrell suffered a concussion in Racing 92's loss to Lyon in the Challenge Cup on May 4 and has not featured for the Paris side since amid rumours of a return to Saracens. Racing 92 finished a disappointing Top 14 campaign by beating Lyon 47-34 last weekend, the departing Henry Arundell scoring two tries to help them register 10th place. Sinckler, a former England team-mate of Farrell now poised to be a Sky Sports colleague, must be an attractive proposition for the Lions given the injury issues at tighthead prop that have seen Zander Fagerson drop out and Asher Opoku-Fordjour come in as training cover. Andy Farrell would have to wait to bring in Sinckler, though, given that Toulon have qualified for the quarter-final round of the Top 14 and are hosting Castres on Saturday.
The Guardian
38 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Owen Farrell to air views on dad Andy and the Lions on Sky for tour opener
Owen Farrell will run the rule over the first match for the British & Irish Lions, against Argentina next week, after joining Sky Sports' punditry team. FThe 33-year-old will be at the Aviva Stadium next Friday to give his views on how the side, coached by his dad, Andy, fares. Farrell Jr has been part of the three previous tours, having made his bow against Australia in 2013, but was omitted from the 38-man squad last month after a torrid first season with Racing 92. Finn Russell, Fin Smith and Marcus Smith were preferred as the fly-halves. His insight into how the Lions fare against the Pumas will be intriguing. When announcing his squad, Farrell Sr left the door open for his son – who has made six Lions Test appearances – to be called upon at a later stage but he was not among the additional players recruited for the training camp in Portugal this week. Instead, he will be pitchside in Dublin as part of a Sky Sports lineup for the tour that includes Sam Warburton, Dan Biggar, Ronan O'Gara, Will Greenwood, Kyle Sinckler, John Barclay, Conor Murray and Nolli Waterman as well as the former Lions coaches Warren Gatland and Ian McGeechan. Farrell is not scheduled to be in Australia, ensuring he will be available for selection for the tour in a playing capacity. He has not featured for Racing since suffering a head injury during their Challenge Cup semi-final loss to Lyon last month. While still under contract at Racing, Farrell has informed the Top 14 club of his desire to leave early and return to the Premiership. Saracens are keen to re-sign the former England captain, but will need to agree personal terms as well as a compensation package with Racing. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion The former England head coach Eddie Jones will be working on the tour for TalkSport, the station announced last month. Jones has had two spells in charge of the Wallabies, either side of his six-and-a-half year stint leading England.
Daily Mail
39 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Owen Farrell WILL be a part of British & Irish Lions' clash against Argentina in surprise role... despite not being picked for Australia tour
Owen Farrell will be a part of the British & Irish Lions' tour opener with Argentina – after signing a deal to work for Sky Sports as a pundit for the Dublin clash. Former England captain Farrell, who looks set to return to Saracens this summer, missed out on selection for the squad which will travel to Australia after an injury-hit first season in France with Racing 92. Farrell's dad and Ireland coach Andy is in charge of the Lions. Owen Farrell 's previous history with the iconic northern hemisphere side – he has been on three previous tours in 2013, 2017 and 2021 – means he was in contention this year. And while a Lions playing call-up in 2025 can't yet be totally ruled out, Owen Farrell will be pitchside rather than on the field at the Aviva Stadium a week on Friday. The Lions play their first match on Irish soil with the talented Pumas their opposition before then flying Down Under to take on the Wallabies. Owen Farrell's new broadcast role will be for the Argentina match only and he won't work for Sky in Australia. It means he is set to comment on the team coached by his father Andy and will in all likelihood speak for the first time about a potential move back to Saracens from Parisian side Racing. Former Lions coaches Warren Gatland and Sir Ian McGeechan will be a part of Sky's tour coverage in Australia while other notable former players including Dan Biggar, Ronan O'Gara, Will Greenwood, Kyle Sinckler, John Barclay, Conor Murray and Nolli Waterman will also be regular on-screen presences in the months to come. Analysis led by Sam Warburton, a two-time Lions captain and the winning skipper from the 2013 tour to Australia, will be anchored from Sky's state-of-the-art studio – the same one used to broadcast Monday Night Football. MailSport columnist Biggar, the starting Lions Test No 10 on the 2021 tour of South Africa, said: 'A Lions tour is the pinnacle of any player's career, so to now be part of it with Sky Sports is incredibly exciting. 'Being on the ground, feeling the atmosphere, and sharing that passion with fans, combined with Sky's top-tier analysis, lets us bring the game to life in a way that's insightful, but still accessible for everyone watching at home.' Sky's coverage of the tour kicks off with an historic first, the Lions' inaugural match in Ireland against Argentina on June 20, and runs until August 2, when the Lions face Australia in the third and final Test match in Sydney. After what is set to be a tough challenge against Argentina, Andy Farrell's team will play nine matches in Australia, with three against the Wallabies. Legendary commentator Miles Harrison will call each of the matches. Alex Payne returns to front the coverage for Sky with Eleanor Roper serving as roving reporter. Ahead of the Argentina clash, the Lions have held their first camp in Portugal this week, using the luxurious Campus training facility at Quinta do Lago. Jonathan Licht, managing director of Sky Sports, added: 'The Lions is one of the marquee events of the sporting calendar and for this tour we're raising the bar with an exceptional on-screen team. 'From legendary Lions to recently retired greats, we've assembled a line-up of world-class talent who will bring fans closer to the action, sharing unique insights, expert analysis and unforgettable moments. We can't wait for the action to begin.'
