The British & Irish Lions will take on Argentina in Dublin in preparation for their 2025 tour to Australia in what will be their first-ever match in Ireland, the team said on Thursday.
The game will be held at the Aviva Stadium on June 20, 2025, and the two teams will play for the Lions 1888 Cup, which marks the first year British teams toured the southern hemisphere.
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"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," Lions CEO Ben Calveley said in a statement.
"British & Irish Lions tours have a rich heritage built over 130 years of touring but alongside our strong history, which we are very proud of, it is important that we look for ways in which to evolve our tours.
"This pre-Tour fixture is one such example of this and builds on the success of the pre-Tour fixture against Japan at Murrayfield in 2021 which was a resounding success."
The Lions will play three Tests against Australia as well as taking on five Super Rugby franchises and an invitational team made up of players from Australia and New Zealand.
“This fixture is set to be an amazing occasion as well as an important part of our preparation ahead of the 2025 Tour, as we bid to claim our first Lions Series win since 2013," Ieuan Evans, Chairman of The British & Irish Lions, believes.
"It’s hugely exciting for the players selected on the Tour to play a Lions fixture in Aviva Stadium and I’m sure it is something they will all relish.
"Aviva Stadium is one the most iconic venues in World Rugby and has been the scene of some of the greatest moments in rugby over the years.
"What’s more, Dublin is an amazing sporting city, and many rugby and sporting fans will have enjoyed the camaraderie and the warm welcome over the years. It is a wonderful destination for Lions fans and a brilliant setting for our pre-Tour fixture.”
“It is a great honour and privilege to be able to play The British & Irish Lions again.,"
"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.”
