When is the British and Irish Lions squad announced?

Find out when the British and Irish Lions squad for the 2025 Tour of Australia will be announced.

The British and Irish Lions squad for the 2025 Tour of Australia will be announced on Thursday 8th May.

The official squad announcement will take place in front of over 2,000 Lions fans at the O2 Arena in London, with the event to begin at 13:30 BST.

Lions head coach Andy Farrell will select the squad, with the included players revealed by former Wales wing and current Lions chairman Ieuan Evans, who was part of the victorious Lions Tour of Australia in 1989.

It is not yet clear how many players Farrell will call up, with a squad of 37 selected for the most recent Lions Tour of South Africa in 2021.

The Lions squad announcement will end months of speculation surrounding who will make the cut, with the opportunity to become a Lion deemed one of the most prestigious accolades rugby players from Britain and Ireland can receive in their career.

As the current head coach of Ireland, Farrell's squad is expected to be dominated by Irish players, while England and Scotland are also expected to have a number of players included.

Wales are unlikely to have many representatives in the 2025 Lions squad given their recent struggles on the international stage.

The unveiling of the Lions captain is also expected to form part of the squad announcement, with England's Maro Itoje and Ireland's Caelan Doris the two frontrunners for the role as the skippers of their respective nations.

The first Test of the 2025 Lions Tour of Australia is scheduled to take place on Saturday 19th July at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

2025 British and Irish Lions Tour fixtures

• Friday 20th June - Lions v Argentina, Dublin (Aviva Stadium)
• Saturday 28th June - Lions v Western Force, Perth (Optus Stadium)
• Wednesday 2nd July - Lions v Queensland Reds, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium)
• Saturday 5th July - Lions v NSW Waratahs, Sydney (Allianz Stadium)
• Wednesday 9th July - Lions v ACT Brumbies, Canberra (GIO Stadium)
• Saturday 12th July - Lions v Invitational AUS & NZ, Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
• Saturday 19th July - Lions v Australia, first Test, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium)
• Tuesday 22nd July - Lions v Melbourne Rebels, Melbourne (Marvel Stadium)
• Saturday 26th July - Lions v Australia, second Test, Melbourne (Melbourne Cricket Ground/MCG)
• Saturday 2nd August - Lions v Australia, third Test, Sydney (Accor Stadium)

James Wilson

• British and Irish Lions
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