Rugby fans are eagerly awaiting Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions squad announcement on Thursday afternoon as players hope for a coveted spot on the plane to Australia for this summer’s tour
British and Irish Lions boss Andy Farrell is getting ready to announce his squad for this summer’s tour in Australia ahead of three huge tests against the Wallabies. Farrell was appointed in January 2024 and is gearing up for his defining moment when he and his team head Down Under.
There should be some crucial decisions for him to make as he selects players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales – who will be desperate to be handed the huge honour of representing the Lions.
Featuring for the Lions will be the pinnacle of many players’ careers and they have a chance to make history when the team play their first Test in July.
Mirror Sport breaks down everything you need to know about the upcoming squad announcement and important info ahead of this summer’s tour.
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When will the squad be announced?
Farrell will unveil his squad for the summer at around 1.30pm BST on Thursday afternoon on May 8th during a live event – a first for a Lions squad announcement.
The coach himself won’t read out the player names he has included in his squad. That honour will fall to former Lions star Ieuan Evans, who is now the chairman.
Evans said he had a list of about 75 players on his shortlist to compete in Australia this summer and he will be forced to whittle down that group to about 37 on Thursday.
Where will it take place and how to watch?
For the first time, the announcement will be made live during an event held inside the Indigo at the O2 Arena. Around 2,000 Lions fans will be allowed inside to witness the squad being revealed.
Doors will open around 90 minutes before the 1.30pm start time and fans in attendance will be treated to a handful of guest appearances from rugby stars.
With only a limited amount of tickets available, other supporters will be able to watch the announcement live on Sky Sports or on the official Lions YouTube channel.
What is the Lions’ full fixture schedule?
The Lions will first play a friendly against Argentina in Dublin next month before jetting out to Australia, where they will have a few warm-up matches against local teams Western Force, Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs, and ACT Brumbies.
They will also play an Invitational side featuring players from Australia and New Zealand before the first Test takes place on 19 July. The Lions will then face Melbourne Rebels on July 22 before the second Test in the city on July 26.
The third and final Test will be held in Sydney on August 2, with the Lions hoping their long and gruelling summer ends in them coming home victorious.
- Lions vs Argentina, Dublin – Friday 20 June
- Lions vs Western Force, Perth – Saturday 28 June
- Lions vs Queensland Reds, Brisbane – Wednesday 2 July
- Lions vs NSW Waratahs, Sydney – Saturday 5 July
- Lions vs ACT Brumbies, Canberra – Wednesday 9 July
- Lions vs Invitational AU & NZ, Adelaide – Saturday 12 July
- Lions vs Australia, first Test, Brisbane – Saturday 19 July
- Lions vs Melbourne Rebels, Melbourne – Tuesday 22 July
- Lions vs Australia, second Test, Melbourne – Saturday 26 July
- Lions vs Australia, third Test, Sydney – Saturday 2 August
