The British and Irish Lions are embarking on their 2025 tour and they are set to benefit from some expected record-breaking figures.
Rugby stars from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales have come together to form the iconic team that will be touring Australia.
This is the first time the Lions will be heading Down Under since 2013, with Andy Farrell now in charge and looking to lead his side to glory.
Those players will, of course, be giving their all for the badge as they aim to become legends, but they are also set for a nice payday…
Do British and Irish Lions players get paid?
Yes, the British and Irish Lions squad do receive money for being part of the tour.
And this summer's Australia trip is set to be record-breaking, according to The Telegraph.
A whopping £10million profit is expected to be made throughout the tour.
That has meant the players will also be receiving a record fee for taking part.
All selected players will likely receive £100,000 each due to a new profit-sharing agreement.
That’s a 20 per cent increase on the pay handed out during the last Lions tour in front of fans in 2017 (£80,000 each).
The new agreement sees players’ pay directly linked to the profit of the tour for the first time.
It also increased the collaboration between the Lions squad and the planning of scheduling and preparation for the trip to Australia.
The jump in expected profits and payments to players comes from a new centralised package for broadcasters, sponsors and licensees.
It has meant that the UK and Australian rugby organisations are likely to bring in more cash after attracting more high-profile sponsorships and broadcasters.
Speaking about that agreement, Lions CEO Ben Calveley said: “We know that players love playing for the Lions, and it is the pinnacle of their professional careers, and this landmark agreement highlights how they are at the centre of our thinking.”
Rugby Players Ireland CEO, Simon Keogh, added: “Players are central to the ongoing success of the British and Irish Lions Tours and we are delighted that their views – including those of Lions heroes of the past – have been heard throughout this process.
"I'd like to thank the British and Irish Lions for their honesty, transparency, and genuine consideration of the players' voice.
"As a result, I believe that we have reached an agreement that is both fair and reflective of the strong collaboration between all stakeholders in rugby.”
British and Irish Lions squad
Forwards:
- Tadhg Beirne – Ireland
- Ollie Chessum – England
- Jack Conan – Ireland
- Luke Cowan-Dickie – England
- Scott Cummings – Scotland
- Tom Curry – England
- Ben Earl – England
- Finlay Bealham – Ireland
- Tadhg Furlong – Ireland
- Ellis Genge – England
- Maro Itoje (C) – England
- Ronan Kelleher – Ireland
- Joe McCarthy – Ireland
- Jac Morgan – Wales
- Henry Pollock – England
- Andrew Porter – Ireland
- James Ryan – Ireland
- Pierre Schoeman – Scotland
- Dan Sheehan – Ireland
- Will Stuart – England
- Josh van der Flier – Ireland
Backs:
- Bundee Aki – Ireland
- Elliot Daly – England
- Tommy Freeman – England
- Jamison Gibson-Park – Ireland
- Mack Hansen – Ireland
- Huw Jones – Scotland
- Hugo Keenan – Ireland
- Blair Kinghorn – Scotland
- James Lowe – Ireland
- Alex Mitchell – England
- Garry Ringrose – Ireland
- Finn Russell – Scotland
- Fin Smith – England
- Marcus Smith – England
- Sione Tuipulotu – Scotland
- Duhan van der Merwe – Scotland
- Tomos Williams – Wales
The entire tour will be exclusively broadcast live on talkSPORT, with former England and Australia coach Eddie Jones part of our team.
Jones is joined by British & Irish Lions heavyweight Ben Kay, Ireland's Gordon D'Arcy and Wales' Alex Cuthbert.
Rugby legends Scotland's Jim Hamilton, England's Rocky Clark and Aussie Matt Giteau are part of the team too.
The Lions tour gets underway this Friday as the squad face Argentina in Dublin, with kick-off at 8pm.
To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
talkSPORT.com will also keep you up to date with the latest.
The Lions on talkSPORT
talkSPORT has all of the British and Irish Lions matches live across the network. Eddie Jones is among the star-studded line-up leading the coverage Down Under.
June 20, Dublin: Lions vs Argentina
June 28, Perth: Lions vs Western Force
July 2, Brisbane: Lions vs Queensland Reds
July 5, Sydney: Lions vs New South Wales Waratahs
July 9, Canberra: Lions vs ACT Brumbies
July 12, Adelaide: Lions v ANZAC XV
July 12, Brisbane: Lions v Wallabies
July 22, Melbourne: Lions v First Nations and Pasifika XV
July 26, Melbourne: Lions v Wallabies
August 2, Sydney: Lions v Wallabies
