- British & Irish Lions Tour 2025 Perth match now on sale
- First match of Australian tour to be held at Optus Stadium on 28 June 2025
- Will be the first time the Lions have played in Western Australia in more than a decade
- Match secured with the support of the WA Government
A wave of excitement among rugby fans will surge across the country today with tickets for the 2025 British & Irish Lions Rugby Union Tour now on sale.
After 12 years, the British & Irish Lions Tour is returning to Australia, promising a rugby extravaganza spanning the nation, with nine matches across six cities.
In their first match on Australian soil, the Lions will go head-to-head with the Western Force at Perth’s 60,000 capacity Optus Stadium, expected to attract thousands of out-of-state and international visitors as well as British expats and Australian rugby superfans from across the country.
The British & Irish Lions tour has been bringing together the best rugby players from the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland to locations in the southern hemisphere since 1899, with the team touring Australia, New Zealand or South Africa every four years to play matches against the home nation’s teams.
The 2013 British & Irish Lions tour attracted a crowd of more than 35,000 to Subiaco Oval when the squad played the Western Force, with the global broadcast of the nationwide tour reaching almost 22 million people.
The United Kingdom is the largest of Western Australia’s 11 key international visitor markets, with almost 20 per cent of all WA’s international visitors more than 100,000 travellers – coming from the UK in the year ending March 2023.
The match adds to WA’s growing list of international rugby hosting credentials, following the HSBC SVNS in January and the upcoming Wallabies vs Springboks test match at Optus Stadium in August.
It also falls during Australia’s ‘golden decade’ of rugby as WA joins the rest of country in preparing to host the Rugby World Cup in 2027 and 2029.
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As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
“We’re so excited to see some of the finest players from Britain and Ireland compete against the Western Force right here in WA.
“This opportunity builds upon our track record of securing major events, further establishing WA as a premier sporting destination in the South East Asian region.
“Hosting events of this calibre not only benefits our local rugby community, but also provides a significant economic boost to the WA economy, driving visitors to the State and boosting patronage at pubs, bars, and other hospitality and tourism establishments.”
As stated by Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:
“Our government is very excited to host the inaugural match of this prestigious 124-year-old touring tradition, slated to attract tens of thousands of fans to our award-winning Optus Stadium in 2025.
“The British & Irish Lions rugby match presents yet another compelling reason for visitors to choose Western Australia as their next travel destination.
“This tour match not only strengthens our ties with the UK, a crucial visitor market for WA, but also underscores our commitment to fostering this important relationship.”
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman:
“Western Australians love their rugby and they love seeing the world-famous sporting stars take on homegrown heroes at the award-winning Optus Stadium.
“WA boasts a substantial population with English, Irish, Scottish, or Welsh heritage, so this event will undoubtedly be embraced by local expat communities.
“I have no doubt that this clash at Optus Stadium in June 2025 will be an incredible spectacle, and I’m excited to see Perth at the forefront when the tour launches right here in Western Australia.”
