The complete schedule for the British and Irish Lions for their 2025 summer tour of Australia is now fully locked in. It’s a busy few months ahead for Andy Farrell and his selection of touring players with matches to come on both sides of the equator. It had previously been confirmed that the Lions are heading to Dublin in June for their very first match when they take on Argentina at the Aviva Stadium.
From there, the team will head to Australia where they have a whopping nine matches on the agenda – headlined, of course, by the three Tests against Australia. There is now a fresh match-up on the cards as the Lions will be taking on a First Nations & Pasifika XV – the first of its kind – in Melbourne on Tuesday, July 22. That clash will go between the first and second Tests against Australia, making it the final non-Test meeting of the tour.
The Lions were set to take on the Melbourne Rebels on that date but the Super Rugby side have since gone bust. Additionally, the tourists are also now pencilled in to take on an Ian Foster-coached AUNZ Invitational XV ahead of the first Test.
The full match schedule for the Lions includes:
- Friday, June 20: British & Irish Lions vs Argentina – Aviva Stadium, Dublin (8pm)
- Saturday, June 28: Western Force vs British & Irish Lions – Optus Stadium, Perth (10:45am)
- Wednesday, July 2: Queensland Reds vs British & Irish Lions – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (10:45am)
- Saturday, July 5: New South Wales Waratahs vs British & Irish Lions – Allianz Stadium, Sydney (10:45am)
- Wednesday, July 9: ACT Brumbies vs British & Irish Lions – GIO Stadium, Canberra (10:45am)
- Saturday, July 12: AUNZ Invitational XV vs British & Irish Lions – Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (10:45am)
- Saturday, July 19: Australia vs British & Irish Lions – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (10:45am)
- Tuesday, July 22: First Nations & Pasifika XV vs British & Irish Lions – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne (10:45am)
- Saturday, July 26: Australia vs British & Irish Lions – Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (10:45am)
- Saturday, August 2: Australia vs British & Irish Lions – Accor Stadium, Sydney (10:45am)
Meanwhile, former All Blacks mentor Ian Foster has ruled himself out of the race to replace Joe Schmidt as Wallabies coach in October 2025. Foster had Schmidt by his side as an assistant coach for New Zealand's run to the 2023 Rugby World Cup final in France. The 59-year-old is now coaching Michael Hooper at Toyota Verblitz in Japan and will also guide the AUNZ Invitational XV against the British and Irish Lions in Adelaide on July 12.
When asked about the Wallabies post, Foster expressed, “I think it's probably time for an Aussie coach. My accent's not quite right. But I think if you look in your own backyard, you've got some good coaches developing there, and I think that's the likely place to be looking.”
The Wallabies have leaned heavily on Kiwi coaches in recent times, with three of the last six hailing from New Zealand (Robbie Deans, Dave Rennie, and Schmidt). Foster’s ties to the All Blacks run deep as he was also an assistant coach for the controversial drawn 2017 series against the Lions in New Zealand. Despite stepping back from any coaching races, he maintained faith in Australia's chances, explaining, “Absolutely. I think we saw some significant growth last year.” He pointed out the improvements in super rugby and noted, “Clearly, there'll be a lot of excitement from the players.”
However, he remains cautious, acknowledging the daunting task ahead as the Lions tour approaches. “But the Wallabies are going to have to be at their best. This will be a tough Lions team dominated probably by Irish and English, I think,” he outlined, emphasizing the strong and structured set-piece game that Australia would have to contend with.
While Foster is focusing on his current commitments in Japan, he still believes “these series are where people grow, and you have to grow quickly.” With Foster directing the AUNZ Invitational XV, excitement is building as the Lions prepare for their demanding summer tour.
