British & Irish Lions confirm date for 2025 squad selection as Scotland hopefuls set to learn Australia fate

A number of Scotland stars will discover their British and Irish Lions fate in front of a live audience after details of a unique squad announcement were confirmed.

Several Scotland players are expected to be named in Andy Farrell’s Lions squad for this summer’s tour to Australia with the likes of Blair Kinghorn, Duhan van der Merwe, Ben White and Finn Russell all widely believed to be in line for the trip down under. Their focus for now will remain on bringing a positive end to the Six Nations campaign after returning to winning ways with a 35-29 victory against Wales on Saturday following defeats against Ireland and England - but the confirmation Farrell will reveal his squad on May 8 will have sparked some excitement ahead of the summer.

Sky Sports are to cover the live announcement at Indigo at the O2 in London as 540 tickets are released free via a ballot. The prices for the remainder of the 2,700 tickets will start at £40, and Lions Rugby Club members will get priority to buy tickets. Several guests will also appear to give reaction to the selections as the names are read out.

What Lions chiefs have said about squad announcement event

Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said: “This will be our biggest and most special squad announcement yet. We are absolutely delighted to see record numbers of fans already travelling to Australia this summer as the Sea of Red unites for the first time since 2017. But we also know there are millions of fans at home who also want to be brought closer to the action — and this unique event gives them the chance to do that.”

The move is a contrast to the announcement that came before the last Lions tour as Covid-19 restrictions meant Alan Wyn Jones appeared on stage as a hologram after he was confirmed as captain for the tour in South Africa - and Lions chairman Ieuan Evans believes the new announcement will be ‘so memorable’ for supporters and players alike.

The Wales rugby legend said: “There is no greater honour than being selected for the British & Irish Lions and as a player you find it tough to sleep the night before as the anticipation builds. I was fortunate to go on three Lions Tours and I found out via a letter, a telegram and Ceefax. This squad announcement, in front of our loyal fans, will be so memorable in its own way too. There is a lot of rugby to be played between now and May, and Andy and his coaching team will have some extremely tough decisions to make ahead of the tour to Australia.”

When is the 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour? Fixtures and dates

Before they head to Australia the Lions will play Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on June 20. Starting off with a home test is something the Lions have done in the past including prior to their last tour in 2021 when they faced Japan at Murrayfield.

They then head for the other side of the world and the tour gets underway in earnest with their first match on June 28 against club side Western Force. The first Test match against the Wallabies will be played on July 19. Here is the full schedule as things stand:

• 20/06/2025 - The Lions v Argentina (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
• 28/06/2025 - Western Force v The Lions (Optus Stadium, Perth)
• 02/07/2025 - Queensland Reds v The Lions (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
• 05/07/2025 - NSW Waratahs v The Lions (Allianz Stadium, Sydney)
• 09/07/2025 - ACT Brumbies v The Lions (GIO Stadium, Canberra)
• 12/07/2025 - Invitational AU & NZ v The Lions (Adelaide Oval, Adelaide)
• 19/07/2025 - Wallabies v The Lions (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
• 22/07/2025 - Melbourne Pre-Test (TBC) v The Lions (Marvel Stadium, Melbourne)
• 26/07/2025 - Wallabies v The Lions (MCG, Melbourne)
• 02/08/2025 - Wallabies v The Lions (Accor Stadium, Sydney)

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