The British and Irish Lions will play in Dublin for the first time in June 2025 when they take on Argentina at the Aviva Stadium for the Lions 1888 Cup.
This fixture follows the successful first 1888 Cup match against Japan in Edinburgh ahead of the 2021 Tour of South Africa.
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports and will also be broadcast on terrestrial television with details to be confirmed in due course.
Tickets from €40 will go on sale in March 2024 and The Hospitality Partnership has been appointed to look after the corporate hospitality which given the unique nature of the game is likely to be in high demand.
There could yet be an even greater interest in Ireland with Head Coach Andy Farrell considered the favourite to lead the team for the tour.
Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will host the first Test against Australia on Saturday 19 July. The second Test will be played on Saturday 26 July at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which has a capacity of 100,000. The final Test will be played in front of over 80,000 fans at Sydney’s Accor Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday 2 August.
“Excitement is building as we continue the countdown to the 2025 Tour to Australia and we are delighted to confirm details of this fixture which is a key part of the overall Tour,” said Ben Calveley, CEO of the Lions.
“The opportunity to play in Dublin at Aviva Stadium in front of over 50,000 Lions fans will make for a great occasion and the perfect send-off.”
“British and Irish Lions Tours have a rich heritage built over 130 years of touring but alongside our strong history which we are very proud of, we must look for ways in which to evolve our Tours.”
“This pre-Tour fixture is one such example of this and builds on the success of the pre-Tour fixture against Japan at Murrayfield in 2021 which was a resounding success.”
“British and Irish Lions fans are a core part of what makes a great Lions Tour. This fixture in Aviva Stadium gives fans who may not be travelling to Australia the opportunity to see the Lions in action which is really important to us.”
“The 1888 Cup match in Dublin will allow even more supporters to be part of the Lions exciting journey and we look forward to witnessing a Sea of Red in Dublin before we depart for Australia.”
“Finally, I would like to thank The Irish Rugby Football Union and La Unión Argentina de Rugby for their support and collaboration in the organising of this fixture”.
“The British and Irish Lions is synonymous with rugby heritage, pride and passion and I am delighted that Irish fans will have an opportunity to watch one of rugby’s most popular and iconic teams play for the very first time in Ireland,” added IRFU CEO Kevin Potts.
“The IRFU is very proud to host this “Home” fixture before the 2025 Tour, and it promises to be a momentous celebration for Irish rugby in our 150th Anniversary season. A packed Aviva Stadium will provide an ideal launchpad for the Lions before they depart for Australia, allowing many Irish rugby fans to savour the extraordinary experience that is being a Lions supporter, on home soil. I would like to thank the Board of The British & Irish Lions for awarding Irish rugby with this honour, which will fittingly bookend our 150th year celebrations.”
Sport for Business and the University of Limerick will host a Sports Tourism Conference in March 2024. To find out more or register your interest get in touch with Rob Hartnett at rob@sportforbusiness.com
