England second-row Maro Itoje appointed as British and Irish Lions captain for their upcoming tour to Australia.
Lions Announce Squad for 2025 Australia Tour, Led by Englishman Maro Itoje
Deviate from the average and dive into the latest update as the British and Irish Lions have unveiled a 38-strong squad set to embark on their tour of Australia in 2025, taking the helm as captain is none other than the 30-year-old English powerhouse, Maro Itoje.
In a ceremony attended by over 2,000 ardent rugby fans at The O2 arena in London, the lock will make history as the first English player to captain the Lions since Martin Johnson in 2001. With an impressive three tours under his belt – 2017, 2021, and now 2025 – Itoje strode confidently onto the stage, flanked by the team's mascot, Bill, to the cheers of the expectant crowd.
"It's an absolute honor and a tremendous privilege," Itoje shared, positively beaming.
Evidently, the call to duty came to Itoje via a less pleasant channel – a messy phone call from Lions coach Andy Farrell on Tuesday that left the captain-to-be grasping for a clear conversation. As it turns out, a poor line left Farrell needing to make a follow-up call to triple-confirm the appointment.
Itoje, who has just spearheaded England to a commendable second-place finish in the Six Nations, boasts an impressive 93 caps for the English team across nearly a decade of service. Named England's captain since January, the leading man's journey to Lions' captaincy may have been hastened by an unfortunate injury to Caelan Doris, the Ireland captain and standout No. 8, who sustained a shoulder injury during his match with Leinster against Northampton last weekend.
Interestingly, making it into the squad was Henry Pollock, an Englishman with just a single cap to his name, having scored a late, try-scoring replacement effort against Wales in the recent Six Nations. Impressing at club level with the Northampton Saints, Pollock slotted comfortably into the squad, boasting a commendable man-of-the-match performance in a Champions Cup semifinal win over Leinster last weekend.
Notably absent from the ranks is Owen Farrell, the son of head coach Andy Farrell, who was hoping to make a fourth consecutive tour. Fellow Englishmen Fin Smith and Marcus Smith, along with Scotland's Finn Russell, proved to be the preferred choices at flyhalf.
Since stepping away from international duty to protect his mental health during the 2023 World Cup, Farrell has left English rugby behind to join Racing 92 in Paris. Ireland has the most players in the squad, with 17, compared to England's 13 representation. Scotland rounds out the roster with eight representatives, while Wales boasts just two: scrumhalf Tomos Williams and flanker Jack Morgan, as the Welsh national team continues to grapple with a 17-test losing streak, a run that began in 2023 – the smallest representation for the Welsh team since World War II.
"This, my friends, is the absolute pinnacle – there's no higher achievement to strive for," declared Welsh scrumhalf Tomos Williams, eyes glistening with emotion as they announced his name.
The Lions prevailed in the test series against the Wallabies during their last tour of Australia, in 2013. Since then, they've seen success in a series draw against New Zealand in 2017 but have lost to the Springboks in South Africa in 2021.
The upcoming tour promises thrilling clashes, with the British and Irish Lions set to face the Wallabies in three Tests, along with six more games against domestic Australian teams like Western Force, Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs, ACT Brumbies, an Invitational Australia and New Zealand XV, and a First Nations and Pasifika XV.
The tour will kick off against Argentina in Dublin on June 20, 2025, and conclude with the series-closing third test on August 2, 2025.
Here's the updated squad for the 2025 tour:
Forwards:- Tadhg Beirne (IRE)- Ollie Chessum (ENG)- Jack Conan (IRE)- Luke Cowan-Dickie (ENG)- Scott Cummings (SCO)- Tom Curry (ENG)- Ben Earl (ENG)- Zander Fagerson (SCO)- Tadhg Furlong (IRE)- Ellis Genge (ENG)- Maro Itoje (ENG, Captain)- Ronan Kelleher (IRE)- Joe McCarthy (IRE)- Jac Morgan (WAL)- Henry Pollock (ENG)- Andrew Porter (IRE)- James Ryan (IRE)- Pierre Schoeman (SCO)- Dan Sheehan (IRE)- Will Stuart (ENG)- Josh van der Flier (IRE)
Backs:- Bundee Aki (IRE)- Elliot Daly (ENG)- Tommy Freeman (ENG)- Jamison Gibson-Park (IRE)- Mack Hansen (IRE)- Huw Jones (SCO)- Hugo Keenan (IRE)- Blair Kinghorn (SCO)- James Lowe (IRE)- Alex Mitchell (ENG)- Gary Ringrose (IRE)- Finn Russell (SCO)- Fin Smith (ENG)- Marcus Smith (ENG)- Sione Tuipulotu (SCO)- Duane van der Merwe (SCO)- Tomos Williams (WAL)
Games- Friday, June 20 vs. Argentina, Dublin- Saturday, June 28 vs. Western Force, Perth- Wednesday, July 2 vs. Queensland Reds, Brisbane- Saturday, July 5 vs. NSW Waratahs, Sydney- Wednesday, July 9 vs. ACT Brumbies, Canberra- Saturday, July 12 vs. Invitational Australia and New Zealand, Adelaide- Saturday, July 19 vs. Australia, Brisbane, First Test- Tuesday, July 22 vs. First Nations and Pasifika XV, Melbourne- Saturday, July 26 vs. Australia, Melbourne, Second Test- Saturday, August 2 vs. Australia, Sydney, Third Test
- In the 2025 Australia tour, the British and Irish Lions have named Maro Itoje as their captain, making him the first English player to lead the team since Martin Johnson in 2001.
- Despite the unexpected outcome of a phone call from coach Andy Farrell, Maro Itoje has been confirmed as the captain, with Owen Farrell, Andy's son, missing out on the tour.
- The squad for the tour includes Henry Pollock, a young English player with just one cap, who impressed during the recent Six Nations and the Champions Cup semifinal.
- The Lions' squad comprises 17 Irish, 13 English, 8 Scottish, and 2 Welsh players, with Wales currently experiencing a 17-test losing streak.
- The 2025 tour will include games against domestic Australian teams, the Wallabies in three Tests, and international teams like Argentina and an Invitational Australia and New Zealand XV.
