Lions Tour 2025

[JRugby2]

No team with "invitational" in its name is going to be taken very seriously, especially one inside the test window

Yeah that's fine - but why say it then?

 

[JRugby2]

Wallabies icon Kurtley Beale and 21-cap back-rower Rob Leota are amongst the five players announced for the First Nations Pasifika Invitational XV squad to face the Lions on July 22.

They are joined by Reds backrower Seru Uru, Waratahs flanker Charlie Gamble and Brumbies winger Andy Muirhead as part of the first group confirmed for the inaugural match.

Beale headlines first wave of players announced for First Nations Pasifika squad

Wallabies icon Kurtley Beale and 21-cap back-rower Rob Leota are amongst the five players announced for the First Nations Pasifika Invitational XV squad to face the Lions on July 22.

www.rugby.com.au

Looks like they've also picked the Harlequin jersey - not sure if I missed an announcement?

 

[rugbyAU]

Waratahs game is probably going to be the big concern - are they going to have many high quality players available?

 

[Dctarget]

Waratahs game is probably going to be the big concern - are they going to have many high quality players available?

Probably not, they’re limited to Waratahs players unfortunately.

 

[Spamnoodle]

Probably not, they’re limited to Waratahs players unfortunately.

Quality banter

 

[cyclopath]

Quality banter

One Reds fan's banter is a Tahs fan's PTSD.

 

[drewprint]

There’s some cracking new RM Williams gear on the Wallabies shop. Also the AU/NZ jersey is available, including a long sleeve cotton one. I quite like it overall - hopefully some passionate local Kiwis get one too!

https://www.wallabyshop.com.au/en/r...VY-phzTlbg2hJRZ_rM_aem_0xR0LnxJ4Ds30SYa2sBxng

 

[Strewthcobber]

Looks like Reds & Waratah games on track for sellouts. Force officials hoping for a late influx of ticket sales for a crowd of 40k which is a pretty good result. Still plenty of Brumbies tickets left but should pick up once the tours officially kicks off. Whoever scheduled that game to go up against the State of Origin decider should be shot.

Not sure we can put anyone up against the wall for that. Game was announced two years ago, while Origin was launched in Nov. Lions will demand Wed games

 

[Spamnoodle]

One Reds fan's banter is a Tahs fan's PTSD.

From that perspective it seems a little cruel. However seeing as the banterer is a former Rebels fan I reckon fair game.

 

[LeCheese]

Looks like they've also picked the Harlequin jersey - not sure if I missed an announcement?

Having seen the other 3 options, I think it was a bit of an exercise in the illusion of free choice

 

[liquor box]

There’s some cracking new RM Williams gear on the Wallabies shop. Also the AU/NZ jersey is available, including a long sleeve cotton one. I quite like it overall - hopefully some passionate local Kiwis get one too!

https://www.wallabyshop.com.au/en/rugby/australia-rugby/australia-rugby-australia-and-nz-invitational-xv-rugby-top/o-21864328+t-43958567+p-35005927081+z-9-1951685336?_ref=p-GALP:m-GRID:i-r0c2o-2&utm_campaign=AustraliaRugby-AU-EN-CRM-Soccer-AustraliaRugby-20250623&utm_term=S=PRO|D=AustraliaRugby|L=Rugby|T=AustraliaRugby|A=BothGenders|C=AU|B=LowCost|H=Official|G=EN&utm_content=E=PRODUCT-AUNZJersey&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=120227837928480306&utm_id=120227837919050306&fbclid=IwQ0xDSwLJ_9ZleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQBqyKU5murwgEepWge2V09DS4CuPJGfQ1Iz1S8ZfE0L1e_OgBwbuDA-VY-phzTlbg2hJRZ_rM_aem_0xR0LnxJ4Ds30SYa2sBxng

Rebel sport has an almost complete range of Lions gear at the moment.

I quite liked the tour beanies for $30, I was surprised they are made by Kookaburra Sports.

British & Irish Lions 2025 Tour Beanie

British & Irish Lions 2025 Tour Beanie

www.rebelsport.com.au

 

[Wilson]

Tomos Williams has been ruled out of the Lions squad after his hamstring injury against the Force. Ben White (Scotland) called over from New Zealand.

 

[Dctarget]

Tomos Williams has been ruled out of the Lions squad after his hamstring injury against the Force. Ben White (Scotland) called over from New Zealand.

Pretty rough halving the Welsh contigent. Tomos is a great player and I'd take him for the Wallabies but not sure he'd start over Gibson-Park. Mitchell is also no slouch.

 

[Wilson]

Pretty rough halving the Welsh contigent. Tomos is a great player and I'd take him for the Wallabies but not sure he'd start over Gibson-Park. Mitchell is also no slouch.

Tough for Williams but he's ruled out by injury. As far as the Welsh representation goes though, there was no chance of a call up here - Ellis Bevan and Rohdri Williams are well behind the other.

White makes sense given he was local and he plays with Russell for Scotland, I probably would've otherwise been tempted to go with Ben Spencer, who partners him at Bath as the emergency call up or van Poortvliet who was emergency cover for the Argentina game.

 

[Dctarget]

Tough for Williams but he's ruled out by injury. As far as the Welsh representation goes though, there was no chance of a call up here - Ellis Bevan and Rohdri Williams are well behind the other.

White makes sense given he was local and he plays with Russell for Scotland, I probably would've otherwise been tempted to go with Ben Spencer, who partners him at Bath as the emergency call up or van Poortvliet who was emergency cover for the Argentina game.

England have some great 9s kicking around at the moment. Their halves are the most obvious point of difference to us sadly.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Poms having a sook about some nationality bantz:

Australian rugby’s incendiary attitude towards nationality needs extinguishing | Robert Kitson

Wallabies’ great pleasure in focusing on where a Lions player was born is an inflammatory device masked as banter

www.theguardian.com

TLDR: "Swoon, pearl clutch, oh, oh, oh mummy, mummy, where will it ever ennnd."

So sorry but if you rock up after a couple of years of residence and clutch the badge and sing the anthem then, the day after your playing days are done, quietly bugger off back to your own country with your pile of cash like it was just another gig then you deserve all the ripping you get.

 

[Dan54]

I just wonder if the ground announcer in Perth bothered to announce, Matt Proctor form NZ, Reed Prinseep from NZ, or Qld players/Tahs players playing for Force etc?. Or is it just Lions etc aren't allowed to do it? Be interesting to hear him read out Wallabies in their next test in Perth.

I imagine it will be met with same hilarity?

 

[JRugby2]

I just wonder if the ground announcer in Perth bothered to announce, Matt Proctor form NZ, Reed Prinseep from NZ, or Qld players/Tahs players playing for Force etc?. Or is it just Lions etc aren't allowed to do it? Be interesting to hear him read out Wallabies in their next test in Perth.

I imagine it will be met with same hilarity?

Big difference between representing a domestic side in an area you weren't born in and representing a country you weren't born in.

 

[Braveheart81]

I just wonder if the ground announcer in Perth bothered to announce, Matt Proctor form NZ, Reed Prinseep from NZ, or Qld players/Tahs players playing for Force etc?. Or is it just Lions etc aren't allowed to do it? Be interesting to hear him read out Wallabies in their next test in Perth.

I think the intention was to troll the Lions and their fans.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

And it's worked. Plenty all hot and bothered calling it classless etc. love it