When is the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia? Dates, UK kick-off times, schedule, venues and latest on Andy Farrell’s squad
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The British and Irish Lions are preparing for their tour of Australia this summer, heading Down Under for the first time since 2013.
Every four years, rugby stars from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales come together aiming to become a legend as part of the iconic team.
Last time out in 2021, the Lions were beaten in their test against South Africa alongside multiple other clashes against the country's local teams.
That was Warren Gatland's final tour in charge, with Andy Farrell now taking over and looking to lead his side to success on the other side of the world.
When is the Lions tour of Australia?
The British and Irish Lions will begin their tour of Australia on Saturday, June 28 and it will last five weeks before coming to an end on August 2.
They will play a total of nine games on the tour Down Under, starting with a clash against Western Force in Perth.
Of the nine games, three will be tests against Australia and the other six will be against teams from around the country.
Eight matches are scheduled to get started at 10:45am UK time, while a meeting with an invitational Aussie and New Zealand side starts at 10:15am.
The entire tour will be exclusively broadcast live on talkSPORT, with former England and Australia coach Eddie Jones part of our team.
Jones is set to be joined by British & Irish Lions heavyweight Ben Kay, Ireland's Gordon D'Arcy and Wales' Alex Cuthbert, as well as rugby legends Scotland's Jim Hamilton, England's Rocky Clark and Aussie Matt Giteau.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 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.
Lions tour of Australia: Squad
The official British and Irish Lions squad will be announced this week.
The squad and captain will be confirmed on Thursday, May 8, at the O2 Arena in London.
It is expected that around 37 players will be part of the travelling team selected by Farrell, with Maro Itoje and Caelan Doris tipped for captaincy.
However, Doris has picked up an injury and is now a doubt for the tour completely.
Plenty of Irish stars could feature due to Farrell's connection to the national team, while England's strong Six Nations showing means many players should get the call.
talkSPORT and talkSPORT.com will have coverage of the squad reveal on Thursday.
Lions tour of Australia: Schedule
The Lions begin their schedule together on Friday, June 20, as they face Argentina in Dublin to get things started.
But then the tour of Australia will begin a week later, and here is the full schedule:
All kick-off times GMT
- The Lions vs Argentina – June 20, 8pm – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
- Western Force vs The Lions – June 28, 10:45am – Optus Stadium, Perth
- Queensland Reds vs The Lions – July 2, 10:45am – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
- NSW Waratahs vs The Lions – July 5, 10:45am – Allianz Stadium, Sydney
- ACT Brumbies vs The Lions – July 9, 10:45am – GIO Stadium, Canberra
- Invitational AU-NZ vs The Lions – July 12, 10:15am – Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
- Australia vs The Lions (First Test) – July 19, 10:45am – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
- First Nations & Pasifika XV vs The Lions – July 22, 10:45am – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
- Australia vs The Lions (Second Test) – July 26, 10:45am – MCG, Melbourne
- Australia vs The Lions (Third Test) – August 2, 10:45am – Accor Stadium, Sydney
Lions tour of Australia: What has been said?
Former Lion and England international Kay will be co-commentating throughout the tour of Australia for talkSPORT.
Kay says: "A British and Irish Lions tour is unlike anything else in the sport – the pinnacle for any player, amplified by the unbelievable support of the fans.
"I can't wait to be amongst the sea of red in Australia to bring the listeners as close as possible to what should be an incredible series."
Head of talkSPORT Liam Fisher said: "The Lions tour is an iconic event of the rugby calendar and we can't wait to bring you the exclusive radio rights to the series.
"Our line-up is steeped in rugby knowledge and experience and I'm particularly looking forward to hearing Eddie Jones cast his views on the matches!
"We'll deliver every moment so those not lucky enough to be there can feel like they are in the stadium."
