Latest news with #TourtoAustralia
Fashion Network
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Charles Tyrwhitt unveils Lions rugby collection and campaign
As official menswear partner for the British & Irish Lions rugby squad and with anticipation building for the upcoming 2025 Tour to Australia, Charles Tyrwhitt has unveiled its latest campaign starring four Lions' legends, hero-ing a new collection. Step forward Matt Dawson, Sam Warburton, Jamie Heaslip and Gregor Townsend who take centre stage in a 'dynamic' campaign that captures the essence of the Lions: 'four unions, one team, united by legacy'. This campaign shows how these rugby greats continue to channel the same ambition, discipline, and camaraderie that defined their careers, showing that the impact of the Lions 'goes far beyond the final whistle as it evolves and continues to inspire'. In a series of discussions and behind-the-scenes moments, the campaign 'offers a rare glimpse into the highs and lows of their respective Lions tours - the memories, the mentors, and their expectations for the class of 2025'. Dressed head-to-toe in Charles Tyrwhitt, each ambassador sports the new Lions collection, 'designed to give Lions' fans a smart casual way to show their support'. 'Whether cheering on the team from the stands in a signature polo or toasting from a pub back home in a heritage-inspired jersey shirt, there's something for every supporter', the retailer said. Available online and in selected stores, the range features piqué Polo Shirts with the Lions' badge, high-performance Zip Neck Knitwear and Gilets showcasing a bold heraldic lion motif, and Jersey Shirts. Completing the collection are accessories including ties, pocket squares, and boxer shorts, 'each incorporating subtle nods to rugby tradition'. Beyond the campaign, Charles Tyrwhitt is also bringing the Lions closer to its customers with two exclusive events in London. On 24 June, in partnership with rugby's mental health charity, LooseHeadz and The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, the brand will host a live podcast with former Lions' players and Charles Tyrwhitt ambassadors following the Dublin test. All proceeds from the event will go to LooseHeadz. Further, there will also be 'An Evening with Lions Legends ' at its Jermyn Street, London, store, featuring a Q&A session with Dawson, Greenwood and Healey. As the countdown to Australia 2025 continues, this partnership allows Charles Tyrwhitt access into the current 2025 touring squad camp, where they will be able to provide behind-the-curtain access into the camp and players. Joe Irons, chief sales and marketing officer at Charles Tyrwhitt, said: 'It's been incredible to be part of the Lions journey - from the squad announcement last month to now launching our latest campaign. Having four legendary Lions ambassadors, whose tours span so much of Lions history, together in one room has been iconic. Beyond that, we're very proud to be bringing the Lions even closer to our customers, through a number of events and unforgettable experiences.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Making of James Lowe
Though this summer's Tour to Australia will be James Lowe's first in Lions red, he knows full well what to expect. The Leinster star had actually played against The British & Irish Lions in 2017, lining up for the Maori All Blacks as they were felled 32-10 by Warren Gatland's tourists. Eight years later, Lowe stands at the peak of his powers, his blend of pace, power and an unerring left boot marking him out as one of the most electrifying wingers in world rugby. As he prepares to make history as one of the select few to have played for and against the Lions, we examine how he came to cross the divide. High and Lowe Lowe was born in Nelson in New Zealand's South Island and it was soon apparent that he was destined to star in sport. He excelled in athletics and even represented the New Zealand Under-15 basketball team before deciding to focus on his rugby, but not before a bout with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis left him bedridden as a teenager. 'I was very active as a kid, and the one thing I was really good at was sports. Sport was good for me. It kept me out of trouble, and that kept my parents happy,' revealed Lowe to mental wellbeing campaign Tackle Your Feelings. 'The arthritis happened so quickly that my dad reckoned I was joking. 'He thought I was over sport and tried to scare me out of that mindset by threatening me with moving schools and stuff!' To be honest, I was kind of happy that I could stay at home and play the PlayStation all day, things like that. But looking back now, I can remember nights sitting by the fire because the warmth would help me to move. I remember being carried to the toilet, showered, and bathed. It was a weird stage of life. 'When the diagnosis finally came, I went through a pretty tough patch. It was something that presented me with a real physical and mental challenge. It took almost two years before medication began to fix it. 'Coming through that, I realised how lucky I was to be able to play rugby. To be able to get through it, develop resilience and stay true to myself. Man, I'm pretty lucky to be here now.' An Unexpected Journey After his recovery, Lowe quickly set about making up for lost time, earning a place with Super Rugby outfit the Chiefs after a string of sensational performances for provincial side Tasman. In 2017, the very same year he lined up against the Lions, the seeds for his conversion to red were sown as he travelled halfway across the globe to link up with Leinster. The decision to leave home was not an easy one to make but it quickly paid dividends, yielding a host of honours with the Dublin side including four league titles and a Champions Cup crown. Selection to Ireland's squad followed almost immediately upon the completion of the three-year residency period in November 2020 and Lowe hit the ground running, scoring on his debut against Wales. He later broke the deadlock against the country of his birth in a home victory over New Zealand and later helped deliver an historic Test series win away to the All Blacks in 2022, along with back-to-back Six Nations successes, including a Grand Slam in 2023. As you can tell, this meant a lot. My @druidsglen Moment of the Year is beating New Zealand in front of an awesome crowd.#rugbyawards22 #druidsmoment22 — James Lowe (@JamesLowe_03) May 16, 2022 Earlier this year, Lowe became a fully-fledged Irish citizen, following in the footsteps of his national teammates and fellow Lions Jamison Gibson-Park and Bundee Aki. Chest swelling with pride, Lowe told Irish Rugby TV: 'We've had two beautiful children (Nico and Renn) here, and we see our future in Ireland. 'I remember when I first arrived here by myself, it was pitch black at 4.25 in the afternoon in November! It has gone by so, so quick. 'We've loved our time here, we've loved what rugby has given us. The opportunities that it has presented, and then to represent Ireland in rugby has been one of the best experiences of our lives. 'It's something that we cherish every day and hopefully, moving forward, a couple more kids will be able to play for Ireland. 'Moving to the other side of the world is tough. You leave the safety net of family and friends, but landing here, playing rugby with Leinster, I already had 40 friends as it was. 'All the partners, past and present, have helped that transition. The staff made all of the little bits that you don't think about moving to the other side of the world so much easier. I'll forever be grateful of that. 'What the Irish people have done for us has just filled us with confidence and joy, feeling accepted, and we're just able to go out there and be ourselves and play good rugby and try to be good people. 'We've absolutely loved it. We've loved Ireland and loved the Irish people and how accepting everyone's been of us. We'll forever be grateful.' There and Back Again Eight years on from lining up against the Lions, Lowe's journey has now come full circle. 🛫 🦁Congratulations to the four Leinster Rugby backs who have named in the 2025 @lionsofficial squad. 💪James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park, Hugo Keenan and Garry Ringrose. 🔵#NeverLessThanEverything — Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) May 8, 2025 Reflecting on that fateful day in the pouring rain at Rotorua, he told RTE: 'I played full-back that evening and I'm pretty sure I had Rieko Ioane on one wing and Nehe Milner-Skudder on the other – so I was the dud at the back compared to those two!' I think everyone would admit that was their first actual Test match, the first one they properly turned up for. They blew us off the park in terms of intensity, the basics of the game, the ferocity at the breakdown. 'We were beaten off the park that day, and we went into the game with a boatload of confidence. Conor Murray was putting up box kicks on me, Sexto [Johnny Sexton] was screaming, 'go at his left foot!' and all that sort of stuff. It was an introduction into what it actually meant to the boys playing for the Lions and a level of intensity that was unmatched.' Selection to a Tour is the pinnacle for any player representing the home unions but Lowe knows they face a tough task against the Wallabies. He added: 'I know Joe Schmidt at the helm and he coached Ireland for a long time. 'I hate hearing people writing teams off and Australia are definitely going up. They've got some freakish athletes coming through. 'The team that you scout Monday-Friday can be completely different than the team you play on a Saturday. 'If you're off your game away from home with a crowd that's baying for blood and a ref that can be influenced by a crowd, it's only natural that it's going be tough.' Lowe has never been one to shy from a challenge, however, and he will relish the chance to make his mark when he heads Down Under.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Johnny Sexton joins British and Irish Lions coaching staff as new Ireland role revealed
Johnny Sexton will join Andy Farrell's team of Lions assistants in Australia (Getty Images) Johnny Sexton has been added to the British and Irish Lions coaching staff for the tour to Australia, with the former fly-half joining up with Andy Farrell's team of assistants before taking up a role with Ireland. Sexton concluded his record-setting international career after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, finishing with 118 caps and as his nation's leading points scorer. He has since been involved with Ireland as a consultant coach, but his role is set to be formalised from August with the 39-year-old working with Ireland's men's and women's sides up to senior level. Before then, though, he will join Farrell and his staff on tour having travelled to Australia and New Zealand with the Lions in 2013 and 2017, featuring in six Tests. Sexton joins an already-announced group of assistants that includes both Ireland and England's attack coaches, Andrew Goodman and Richard Wigglesworth. 'I am hugely excited to continue the next chapter in my coaching journey with The British & Irish Lions and I would like to thank Andy for this incredible opportunity,' Sexton said. 'It promises to be an exciting tour to Australia and I know from experience the challenges that await us. Playing for the Lions was a huge ambition of mine during my playing career and my memories of those tours to Australia and New Zealand will stay with me forever.' Sexton thrived in the final years of his career after Farrell's appointment as Ireland head coach and has long been tipped as a possible coach of real potential. Johnny Sexton (left) will reunite with his former head coach Andy Farrell (PA Archive) His addition bolsters a collaborative coaching team and adds extra Lions experience, with fellow assistant Simon Easterby also having toured with the Lions as a player. Easterby stepped in for Farrell during the Six Nations as the coach began his Lions duties in earnest, and the pair will count on Sexton's expertise when they return to the national set-up later this year. Farrell said: 'I coached Johnny for the very first time during the 2013 Tour to Australia and the love that he had for The British and Irish Lions was reflected in how he operated on a daily basis. His influence on that Lions team and that Series win, our only win in the last 24 years, cannot be underestimated. 'It was clear from working together during the recent Autumn Nations Series that he has the talent and skillset to add to our coaching team with Ireland and I know how driven he is to add to the Lions, firstly this summer, and then on a full-time basis with Ireland later this year. I look forward to working together over the coming months and wish him well in this new chapter in his coaching career.' Alongside Goodman, Wigglesworth, Easterby and Sexton, Ireland scrum coach John Fogarty and Scotland forwards coach John Dalziel will also assist Farrell. Aled Walters will head up strength and conditioning, while David Nucifora will operate as performance manager for the tour. The Lions face Argentina in Dublin in their first tour fixture on 20 June, before taking on the Wallabies in three Tests from 19 July. The squad will be confirmed on 8 May.
