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The British and Irish Lions will play a combined Australia-New Zealand team in one of nine matches on their 2025 tour of Australia.
Key points:
The Lions last played a combined Australia-New Zealand team in 1989They will face the Wallabies in three Tests on their 2025 tourThe Lions will also have tour matches against Australia’s five Super Rugby Pacific teams
The fixture will be held at Adelaide Oval as one of the lead-up matches to the first Test between the Lions and the Wallabies at Brisbane’s Lang Park.
The Lions played what was branded the Anzac XV on their 1989 Australian tour, winning 19-15 at Ballymore in Brisbane after claiming a 2-1 victory in their three-Test series against the Wallabies.
Only three All Blacks started for the Anzac XV when they met the Lions 36 years ago and is too early to confirm whether New Zealand will provide its best players for the match in 2025.
The Lions will play three Tests against the Wallabies, with the MCG and Stadium Australia the other venues hosting matches in the series.
There will also be five tour matches against the five Australian Super Rugby Pacific teams.
“It is an exciting fixture of matches all around the country with the Lions taking on our Super Rugby franchises, three massive Test matches, and a marquee match in Adelaide featuring a combined invitational Australia-New Zealand side,” Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said in a statement.
Combining the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the Lions tour Australia, New Zealand or South Africa every four years.
They defeated the Wallabies 2-1 in their three-Test series on their last visit to Australia in 2013.
The Wallabies won the previous series in 2001, 2-1.
Armed with a famously passionate travelling contingent, the Lions remain one of world rugby’s greatest drawcards.
The tour is hoped to supercharge the code’s coffers and generate interest ahead of Australia hosting the men’s World Cup in 2027, the women’s World Cup in 2029 and the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.
AAP/ABC
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