Lions to play first-ever international match in Ireland ahead of 2025 Australia tour

The British and Irish Lions will take on Argentina in Dublin in preparation for their 2025 tour to Australia in what will be their first ever international match in Ireland.

The game will be held at the Aviva Stadium on June 20th, 2025, and the two teams will play for the Lions 1888 Cup, which marks the first year a Lions team toured the southern hemisphere.

Strictly speaking, this will not be the first time the Lions will play in Ireland, as Bill Beaumont led out a side in red comprised of players who had toured South Africa in 1980 under the guise of an International XV at Musgrave Park in a one-off match against Cork Constitution.

“The opportunity to play in Dublin at Aviva Stadium in front of over 50,000 Lions fans will make for a great occasion and the perfect send-off,” Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said in a statement.

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“British & Irish Lions Tours have a rich heritage built over 130 years of touring but alongside our strong history, which we are very proud of, it is important that we look for ways in which to evolve our Tours.

“This pre-Tour fixture is one such example of this and builds on the success of the pre-Tour fixture against Japan at Murrayfield in 2021 which was a resounding success.”

The Lions will play three Tests against Australia as well as taking on five Super Rugby franchises and an invitational team made up of players from Australia and New Zealand.

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