British and Irish Lions to face New Zealand in first women's tour in 2027

Shaunagh Brown, Megan Gaffney, Elinor Snowsill and Niamh Briggs at the British and Irish Lions launchInpho

England's Shaunagh Brown, Scot Megan Gaffney, Wales' Elinor Snowsill and Niamh Briggs of Ireland helped launch the women's Lions team

The British and Irish Lions have announced a first women's tour - a trip to New Zealand in 2027.

The tour will be held in September and include three Test matches against the six-time world champion Black Ferns.

The Lions will also play pre-Test fixtures although a full schedule is yet to be finalised.

Lions chair and former Wales winger Ieuan Evans said the move was a "key development for women's rugby and women's sport in general".

Ben Calveley, chief executive officer of the Lions, said: "Supporting the growth of the women's game is a key strategic priority for the British & Irish Lions as it is for each of our unions.

"Significant effort has gone into exploring the concept of a Lions Women's Tour and great credit needs to go to the members of our steering committee, our board, and our staff.

"In particular, I want to recognise the collaboration of our four unions and thank them for their continued support and the level of commitment they have shown throughout this journey."

The announcement comes after a feasibility study into a potential women's tour, which looked at a range of aspects, including rugby, brand, commercial, financial, spectator, logistical and scheduling considerations.

Men's Lions tours, which feature squads made up of players from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, have taken place since 1888. They currently tour New Zealand, South Africa and Australia on a four-year rotation, although they also visited Argentina on three occasions in the first half of the 20th Century.

New Zealand have won the past two women's World Cups, including the most recent edition in 2022 when they beat England in a dramatic final.

"When the opportunity arose to be part of history and have the honour of hosting the inaugural British & Irish Lions Women's Tour, we knew we wanted to be part of it," said New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson.

"Women's rugby is growing at pace in New Zealand and following the success of the Rugby World Cup in 2022, we know the excitement world-class competition can generate."

The tour has already secured sponsorship.

Former England international Shaunagh Brown, who has been involved in the feasibility studies, said: "Current players as well as young women and girls starting out in the sport can now dream of wearing that famous red jersey.

"This news is reflective of the upward trajectory women's rugby is on and this tour represents a great opportunity for the best players from Britain and Ireland to be part of the next exciting chapter of the Lions' history."

Analysis

Sara Orchard, BBC Sport & 5 Live rugby union presenter

Momentum for a women's Lions tour has been growing for some time.

Sponsors are increasingly keen to be involved in brands that represent both men's and women's sport and rugby is no different.

Concerns around English dominance can be used to help encourage unions to keep investing in their women's programmes, however concerns around New Zealand as a touring venue continue.

Despite a successful women's World Cup in 2021, the NZRU oversaw low attendances at the recent WXV competition last year. It also has a poor record in commercialising its domestic women's league.

The Lions insist New Zealand is the best destination, although questions will persist about whether France would have been a better host with a proven track record of selling women's rugby to the masses.

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