Lions to host Pumas as touring side head to Ireland for first time
The British and Irish Lions will stage a match in Ireland for the first time when they play Argentina in a warm-up for their 2025 tour to Australia.
The Aviva Stadium in Dublin is set to host the fixture on 20 June 2025, eight days before the Lions are due to play their first tour match Down Under.
It will be the first meeting with the Pumas for 20 years, having drawn 25-25 with them in Cardiff in 2005.
“The opportunity to play in Dublin at Aviva Stadium in front of over 50,000 Lions fans will make for a great occasion and the perfect send-off,” said Lions chief executive Ben Calverley.
“It is important that we look for ways in which to evolve our Tours. This is one such example and builds on the success of the pre-Tour fixture against Japan at Murrayfield in 2021 which was a resounding success.
“Fans are a core part of what makes a great Lions Tour. This fixture gives fans who may not be travelling to Australia the opportunity to see the Lions in action which is really important to us.”
Tickets for the match are due to go on sale in March 2024, starting at €40. It is also set to be shown live on Sky Sports and terrestrial television.
“It is a great honour and privilege to be able to play the British and Irish Lions again,” said Argentina rugby chief Gabriel Travaglini.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event for our players, and it is a great opportunity to play against a team with such prestige and history. It will undoubtedly be a very important challenge for our Pumas.”
After facing the Pumas, the Lions will set off for Australia where they are due to play five tour matches before beginning a three-Test series with the Wallabies.
A new agreement between Lions chiefs and clubs means that all players selected for the squad should be available to play Argentina.
The pre-tour match against Japan in 2021 took place without several key figures owing to a clash with the Premiership final.