British & Irish Lions Rugby Tours

What are the British and Irish Lions

The Lions comprise a team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales which currently tours three southern-hemisphere teams; Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

They also routinely toured in Argentina before World War II.

Tours currently take place every four years, the most recent ones were the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand in 2005 and more recently South Africa in 2009..

In a break with tradition, a first "home" fixture against Argentina took place at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on 23 May 2005, before the Lions went to New Zealand. It finished in a 25-all draw. There was however no such match in 2009 but the Lions have already said that there will be a rethink of the format in 2013.

On tour, games take place against local provinces or clubs as well as the full tests against the host's national team.