Neil Treacy

RTÉ Sport Journalist

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 12: Tadhg Beirne of British & Irish Lions leaves the field during the tour match between AUNZ XI and British & Irish Lions at Adelaide Oval on July 12, 2025 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Beirne starts among eight Irish for Lions Test opener

Saturday's opening British and Irish Lions Test against Australia will feature a record eight Irish players in the starting team, as head coach Andy Farrell puts faith in his Irish and Leinster core against the Wallabies.

Rugby • 17 Jul

29 November 2024; Rob Valetini during an Australia rugby captain's run at Wanderers RFC in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Blow for Wallabies as Valetini and Skelton miss out

Australia's injury problems are continuing ahead of Saturday's first Test the British and Irish Lions in Brisbane, with influential forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini failing to recover from injury.

Rugby • 17 Jul

12 July 2025; British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell after the tour match between AUNZ XV and the British & Irish Lions at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Irish set to dominate in Farrell's Lions Test squad

Both Australia and the British and Irish Lions are due to name their teams for Saturday's first Test in Brisbane.

Rugby • 16 Jul

9 July 2025; Dan Sheehan of British & Irish Lions during the tour match between ACT Brumbies and the British & Irish Lions at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Australia. Photo by Steve Christo/Sportsfile

Sheehan: These are the games you think about

The final selections meetings have been held and the players will have been told if they've made the final cut of 23 for Saturday's opening British and Irish Lions Test against the Wallabies on Saturday.

Rugby • 16 Jul

12 July 2025; Thomas Clarkson of Ireland on his way to scoring his side's sixth try during the International Rugby Test match between Portugal and Ireland at Estádio Nacional do Jamor in Lisbon, Portugal. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Clarkson the latest Irish player called up by Lions

The Irish dominance of the 2025 British and Irish Lions is continuing, with Thomas Clarkson becoming the latest Ireland international to be called up to the squad in Australia.

Rugby • 13 Jul

DUBLIN, IRELAND - JUNE 16: Luke Cowan-Dickie throws the ball ahead of Jamie George during a training session as part of the British & Irish Lions media access at UCD Bowl on June 16, 2025 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

George joins Lions squad following Cowan-Dickie injury

England's Jamie George is the latest player to have been called up to the British and Irish Lions squad ahead of next week's opening Test against Australia in Brisbane.

Rugby • 12 Jul

9 July 2025; Garry Ringrose of British & Irish Lions during the tour match between ACT Brumbies and the British & Irish Lions at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Australia. Photo by Steve Christo/Sportsfile

Ringrose ruled out of first Lions Test with concussion

Garry Ringrose has been ruled out of the opening British and Irish Lions Test with Australia, after suffering a concussion in Wednesday's win against the Brumbies in Canberra.

Rugby • 12 Jul

tadhg beirne of British & Irish Lions is tackled during the tour match between AUNZ XI and British & Irish Lions at Adelaide Oval

AUNZ XV 0-48 British and Irish Lions - recap

Follow our minute by minute coverage as the British and Irish Lions take on an Australia and New Zealand invitational side in their final warm-up game before the Test series v the Wallabies.

Rugby • 12 Jul

11 July 2025; Hugo Keenan in action against Jamison Gibson-Park during a British & Irish Lions captain's run at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Test hopefuls target big showing against AUNZ XV

It was always expected that Andy Farrell's line-up to face the Brumbies earlier this week would be his trial-run at the Test squad. If someone is to change Farrell's thinking this weekend, it will take something pretty special.

Rugby • 11 Jul

11 July 2025; Craig Casey during an Ireland rugby captain's run at Estádio Nacional do Jamor in Lisbon, Portugal. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Casey wants Irish debutants to 'make a real statement'

Barring any more British and Irish Lions call-ups – and you couldn't rule that out – the 2024/25 season comes to a conclusion for the 32 players on Ireland's summer tour in Lisbon this evening.

Rugby • 12 Jul