British and Irish Lions Tour of Australia 2025
28 June – 2 August 2025
For the first time in 12 years, The British & Irish Lions Tour will return to Australia for a five-week festival of rugby: 28 June – 2 August 2025.
The 2025 British & Irish Lions tour includes nine high-profile rugby union games played across six Australian cities with tour matches in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne and three blockbuster Test Matches against the Wallabies, Australian national rugby union team being played in Brisbane (19 July 2025), Melbourne (26 July 2025) and Sydney (2 August 2025).
In a tradition started in 1888, the British & Irish Lions team (a rugby union side made up of players from the English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh national rugby union teams) now tour to the Southern Hemisphere every four years (rotating between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa).
Australia shares a long history with the British & Irish Lions Tour, with their first-ever rugby test match played against a British Isles side on the Lions’ first tour of Australia in 1889. The Lions last played in Australia in 2013.
In 2025, the British and Irish Lions tour will open with the six tour matches as the Lions take on five of Australia’s Super Rugby teams (Western Force – Perth, 28 June; Queensland Reds – Brisbane, 2 July; New South Wales Waratahs – Sydney, 5 July, ACT Brumbies – Canberra, 9 July and the Melbourne Rebels – Melbourne, 22 July) and a sixth match (Adelaide, 12 July) against an invitational side made up of talented Australian and New Zealand rugby union players – the first combination side of its kind since 1989
A highlight on many rugby union fans’ calendars, the British & Irish Lions Tour is anticipated to draw up to 40,000 international spectators from far and wide. We therefore encourage loyal Lions supporters to get in early to secure their preferred arrangements for their 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour Australian adventures.
This time of year pair perfectly with so many fabulous experiences Down Under, the Southern Hemisphere Winter Months are a perfect time to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef or swim with gentle whale sharks and humpback whales on Australia’s “other” great reef, stargaze in the Outback – or from a hot tub in New Zealand, ski untracked powder in New Zealand’s spectacular Southern Alps or relax on footprint free powdery white beaches in Fiji.
Ask the Southern Crossings Travel Design team to tailor personalised Australian adventures for rugby union fans and Lions’ supporters in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne and surrounds.
If rugby union is your passion, Australia will follow up the 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour action with even more world-class tournaments including:
The Rugby World Cup
1 October – 13 November 2027
The new six-week format will bring together 24 champion teams including the South African Springboks and the New Zealand All-Blacks who will be joined by England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy, Japan, Fiji and Argentina, alongside emerging nations such as Chile and Portugal.
The Women’s World Cup Rugby 2029
Australia is proud to be hosting the 11th edition of the Rugby World Cup for Women bring 16 world-class teams together in matches played at various venues across Australia.
And
The Brisbane Olympics 2032
23 July – 8 August 2032
.. and for rugby fans that can’t wait that long, the annual Australia – New Zealand Bledisloe Cup clash between the Wallabies and the All Blacks will be played 21 September 2024 in Sydney and 28 September 2024 in Wellington – always one of the most exciting rivalries in rugby union!
Contact the Southern Crossings Travel Design teams to tailor your rugby-flavoured travels in
Australia – ausdesign@southern-crossings.com
New Zealand – nzdesign@southern-crossings.com
And Fiji – fijidesign@southern-crossings.com
Rugby, tennis, golf, sailing, fishing and more: whatever your passions, the Southern Crossings Travel Design team can curate tailored journeys across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji that connect visitors to the destinations through their interests.
We can also arrange opportunities for travellers to enjoy personalised sporting experiences such as a local Aussie Rules football game with a player by their side or a hit of tennis with one of the greats of the game and courtside seating at Rod Laver Arena for the Australian Open Grand Slam Tennis.
Image: Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, courtesy of Tourism Australia
