The first match day side of the 2025 British & Irish Lions has been announced ahead of their game against Argentina on Friday 20 June
The British & Irish Lions squad 2025 had named its first match day 23 ahead of their opening game against Argentina on Friday 20 June.
Head coach Andy Farrell has picked Marcus Smith at full-back with Northampton Saints duo Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith in the 9 and 10 jerseys.
Maro Itoje captains the team while Tom Curry, Jac Morgan and Ben Earl form the back-row. 20-year-old Henry Pollock earns himself a start on the bench.
Farrell’s 2025 British & Irish Lions squad was first unveiled at a special event at London’s O2 arena on Thursday 8 May. It initially comprised 13 tourists from England, 15 from Ireland, 8 from Scotland and 2 from Wales, with 21 forwards and 17 backs.
England’s Maro Itoje will be the British & Irish Lions captain.
The British & Irish Lions squad will travel to Australia after the Argentina match, kicking off the tour against the Western Force in Perth on Saturday 28 June.
Read on to see which players have been selected. And remember, there’s every chance there’ll be more changes before the plane takes off – on average, seven players are called up after the announcement of the initial squad.
British & Irish Lions squad 2025
FORWARDS (21)
- Finlay Bealham (Connacht and Ireland) – in for Zander Fagerson
- Tadhg Beirne (Munster and Ireland)
- Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers and England)
- Jack Conan (Leinster and Ireland)
- Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks and England)
- Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors and Scotland)
- Tom Curry (Sale Sharks and England)
- Ben Earl (Saracens and England)
- Tadhg Furlong (Leinster and Ireland)
- Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears and England)
- Maro Itoje (Saracens and England) CAPTAIN
- Rónan Kelleher (Leinster and Ireland)
- Joe McCarthy (Leinster and Ireland)
- Jac Morgan (Ospreys and Wales)
- Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints and England)
- Andrew Porter (Leinster and Ireland)
- James Ryan (Leinster and Ireland)
- Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby and Scotland)
- Dan Sheehan (Leinster and Ireland)
- Will Stuart (Bath Rugby and England)
- Josh van der Flier (Leinster and Ireland)
BACKS (17)
- Bundee Aki (Connacht and Ireland)
- Elliot Daly (Saracens and England)
- Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints and England)
- Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster and Ireland)
- Mack Hansen (Connacht and Ireland)
- Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors and Scotland)
- Hugo Keenan (Leinster and Ireland)
- Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse and Scotland)
- James Lowe (Leinster and Ireland)
- Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints and England)
- Garry Ringrose (Leinster and Ireland)
- Finn Russell (Bath Rugby and Scotland)
- Fin Smith (Northampton Saints and England)
- Marcus Smith (Harlequins and England)
- Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors and Scotland)
- Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby and Scotland)
- Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby and Wales)
Withdrawals:
- Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors and Scotland) – calf injury
Related: What’s the fewest players from a single nation selected for a British & Irish Lions tour?
British & Irish Lions team v Argentina
- Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears & England)
- Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks & England)
- Finlay Bealham (Connacht & Ireland)
- Maro Itoje (c) (Saracens & England)
- Tadhg Beirne (Munster & Ireland)
- Tom Curry (Sale Sharks & England)
- Jac Morgan (Ospreys & Wales)
- Ben Earl (Saracens & England)
- Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints & England)
- Fin Smith (Northampton Saints & England)
- Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh & Scotland)
- Bundee Aki (Connacht & Ireland)
- Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors & Scotland)
- Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints & England)
- Marcus Smith (Harlequins & England)
- Ronan Kelleher (Leinster & Ireland)
- Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh & Scotland)
- Tadhg Furlong (Leinster & Ireland)
- Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors & Scotland)
- Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints & England)
- Tomos Williams (Gloucester & Wales)
- Elliot Daly (Saracens & England)
- Mack Hansen (Connacht & Ireland)
British & Irish Lions squad 2025: Captain
Maro Itoje, who’s previously toured with the Lions in New Zealand in South Africa, has been named captain of the 2025 British & Irish Lions squad (David Rogers/Getty Images)
As widely predicted, England’s Maro Itoje has been named as captain of the 2025 British & Irish Lions squad. The current England skipper has plenty of previous Lions experience, having toured New Zealand in 2017 and South Africa in 2021. He’s also started the last five Lions Tests.
British & Irish Lions squad 2025: Coaching staff
Richard Wigglesworth, Simon Easterby, John Dalziel, Andrew Goodman and John Fogarty will all be part of Andy Farrell’s coaching staff for the 2025 British & Irish Lions squad (Credit: British & Irish Lions)
Ireland boss Andy Farrell was appointed head coach of the British & Irish Lions squad for the upcoming tour to Australia back in January 2024.
In January 2025, it was confirmed that Farrell will be joined by David Nucifora (currently a consultant for the Scottish Rugby Union) as General Manager, Performance, along with two members of his Ireland backroom staff: Aled Walters as Head of Athletic Performance and Vinny Hammond as Head of Analysis.
Once the Six Nations 2025 had concluded in late March, Farrell added five assistant coaches to his British & Irish Lions coaching staff: England’s Richard Wigglesworth; Ireland’s Simon Easterby, John Fogarty and Andrew Goodman; and Scotland’s John Dalziel. Johnny Sexton, who was a member of the British & Irish Lions squads in both 2013 and 2017, was added to the assistant coach roster a few weeks later.
Farrell is yet to confirm the sextet’s specific responsibilities within the set-up.
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