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If the British & Irish Lions complete a clean sweep against the Wallabies on Saturday in Sydney, there will be more talk of Australia no longer being a sufficiently challenging destination for a Lions tour. It’s a mirror image of what has happened to the rugby league Lions over the past 15 years, with Australia deciding that neither Great Britain nor England brought the jeopardy, ticket sales or eyeballs required to justify an incoming tour. Instead, the Kangaroos will visit London, Liverpool and Leeds later this year to play England.
It has been 33 years since Great Britain toured Australia. Martin Offiah lit up that series in 1992, scoring seven tries in six Tests against Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. Offiah, who won 33 caps for Great Britain, as well as five for England, cannot believe the Rugby Football League and Australian Rugby League have allowed these showcase events to fade from view. “As a nation we’ve got to have regular fixtures against Australia,” says Offiah. “Not playing them since the World Cup final in 2017 is crazy. When you’re trying to get across that bridge and match them, that’s a massive gap. And we should have been Great Britain for this series – then gone back to England for the World Cup.”
Andy Farrell’s team are in action in Sydney, a rugby league citadel, on Saturday; it has been 19 years since the league Lions played there – a shock win in 2006. Most Super League stars this century have never worn the Lions shirt against Australia. Sam Burgess didn’t. Sam Tomkins didn’t represent Great Britain at all. And current superstars Jack Welsby and Herbie Farnworth have not even seen the league Lions play. Let’s explain a sorry tale.
When did the Lions start playing?
Despite containing dozens of Welshmen, several Scots and an occasional Irishman, for decades the RFL’s national team was known as England. The catalyst for change was the iconic 1946 Indomitables tour, when an “England” squad containing 11 Welshmen docked at Tilbury having won 21 of their 27 games on their tour to Australia and New Zealand. By the time the 1950 tour came round, they were called Great Britain and nicknamed the Lions.
When did league let the Lions escape?
Young fans could be mistaken for assuming that the union Lions have always toured New Zealand, Australia and South Africa on rotation. Not so. While the league side were visiting the southern hemisphere every four years, union tours were more sporadic, at times up to nine years apart. That has changed in the professional era. Since 1997, the league Lions have toured just three times, the union side eight. Rugby league had the Lions brand and calendar in its hands, but let it slip.
In 2007, the RFL declared the series against New Zealand would be the last in Great Britain. The intention was to put more emphasis on the four Home Nations and for the Lions to tour every four years. But 12 years passed before their next tour – and most wish it hadn’t happened at all. The 2019 tour was a historic low, with four straight Test defeats in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
How did they allow this to happen?
Initially results did not matter – until they did. Great Britain won just two of their 24 Tests against Australia between a 21-12 victory at an almost empty Wembley in 1973 and a dead-rubber win in Sydney in 1988, including 15 straight defeats. But the Kangaroos kept coming. As long as it made sense on and off the field, the teams met every two years, switching between the northern and southern hemispheres.
As the current union tour illustrates, if the commercial opportunities add up, the teams will play. The match on Saturday will be the ninth time Andy Farrell’s side have taken to the field in Australia in five weeks.
The league Lions were competitive without being successful and, ultimately, Australia realised they had stronger competition and bigger interest closer to home. Australia were meant to host three Tests in the 2019 tour but they pulled out, leaving the Lions to visit New Zealand, Tonga and Papua New Guinea. They lost to all three, which was reason enough for some to abandon the Lions for good.
Why has the RFL not brought back the Lions?
Having canvassed supporters for their opinions, the RFL decided 2025 was not the time to bring back the Great Britain team, given that England are preparing for a World Cup next year and the Celtic nations would contribute little.
Had the Lions toured in 2023, continuing the four-year cycle, Scotland lock James Bell might have been picked, alongside a handful of Ireland internationals. But if Shaun Wane were selecting a Great Britain team this October, it would look near-identical to England anyway.
Players such as James McDonnell and Morgan Knowles – formerly of Ireland and Wales, respectively – have declared for England in any case. The only player not eligible for England who might make a Lions team is Jaimin Jolliffe, the Gold Coast Titans and Ireland prop. That alone is not a convincing case for the return of the league Lions.
Is there a future for the league Lions?
The Lions are dormant, but not necessarily extinct. England host Australia later this year, with a return trip pencilled in for 2028. Nigel Wood, back in charge at the RFL, is keen on the Lions reuniting, possibly for that tour, although another option is available.
The union Lions launch their tours with money-spinning home games – they played Argentina in Dublin last month, bringing in some much-needed money for both teams. Gate receipts alone yielded in the region of €3m, with the Pumas paid a €1m appearance fee. The league Lions played home fixtures every year for decades and at least one senior RFL employee likes the idea of the four Home Nations uniting to host series against the Kangaroos and Kiwis. No other major team sport does that. It would be unique.
The Celtic nations may not be stocked with talent but they have contributed a lot to the team over the years. Only two players have won Lions series in the southern hemisphere in both codes and neither of them is English: Lewis Jones from Wales and Alan Tait from Scotland. And, enticed with the prospect of facing Australia, it is not hard to imagine Scottish, Welsh and Irish rugby fans getting behind the team. Reviving the Lions would restore one of international rugby league’s unique selling points. Goodness knows, the sport needs it.
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