The British & Irish Lions Women will play their first-ever match against France at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium next August, creating a major new showcase for women’s rugby ahead of the inaugural Lions tour to New Zealand.
The Howden Lions Women’s Cup will take place on Friday, August 27, 2027, with a 19:30 kick-off and will serve as the team’s send-off fixture before Jo Yapp and her squad depart for New Zealand.
Principality Stadium provides a 70,000-plus-capacity stage at one of rugby’s most recognisable venues, while France will offer a demanding first test for a squad assembled from across Ireland and Britain.
It will also give supporters their first chance to see the Lions Women play together before a tour that includes three Tests against the Black Ferns.
“There are moments in sport that only come around once – and this is one of them,” said Lions Women Head Coach Jo Yapp.
“For our British & Irish Lions Women’s team to step onto the field for the first time, on home soil and in front of our fans, is going to be incredibly special.
“France are the ideal team for an occasion like this. They bring a relentless defence and a real edge in attack. That’s exactly the challenge that we need before heading to New Zealand.”
The fixture also gives the Lions an important commercial and promotional moment before the tour itself.
Howden, already Official Insurance Partner of The British & Irish Lions, has taken title sponsorship of the Cardiff fixture, extending its association into one of the most significant new properties in women’s rugby.
Tickets have been launched from £10 for children and £20 for adults, with group pricing available for purchases of more than ten adult tickets.
Supporters who buy in the first 48 hours also have a chance to win a hospitality upgrade for two.
British & Irish Lions CEO Ben Calveley described the announcement as a “monumental moment in Lions history”.
“We’re immensely proud to announce our first-ever British & Irish Lions Women’s fixture,” he said.
“The Principality Stadium is a special venue with a rich rugby heritage, and it provides a fitting stage for such an occasion.
“We want to put on a show and create a spectacle of the highest level, both on and off the pitch.”
WRU Chief Executive Abi Tierney said the side’s establishment marked a landmark moment for rugby.
“The excitement and momentum behind women’s rugby has never been greater,” she said.
“To be able to welcome the inaugural Lions Women’s team to Cardiff for their home game at Principality Stadium is something we are incredibly proud of.”
Following the France fixture, the Lions will open their New Zealand tour against a Black Ferns XV at Semenoff Stadium in Whangārei on Saturday, September 4.
The historic first Test against New Zealand will follow at Go Media Stadium in Auckland on September 11.
An Invitational XV will provide the opposition in Hamilton on September 14 before the second Test in Wellington on September 18. The series concludes with the third Test at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch on September 25.
Creating a British & Irish Lions Women’s team has been one of the biggest structural developments in international women’s rugby in recent years.
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Image Credit: British and Irish Lions
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