British and Irish Lions

The British and Irish Lions (formerly British Isles and then the British Lions; commonly the Lions) is a Rugby Union side comprising a pick of the best players from the four Home nation unions, i.e.:

History

Combined Rugby Union sides from the British Isles toured in the Southern Hemisphere from 1888 onwards. The first tour took place as a commercial venture, made without official backing, but the six subsequent visits that took place prior to the 1910 South Africa tour (the first selected by a committee from all four Home Unions) enjoyed a growing degree of support from the authorities, although only one of these included representatives of all four nations.

Related Topics:
Rugby Union - British Isles - Southern Hemisphere

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The 1950s proved a golden age for Lions rugby, although only in the 1970s did style begin to match the substance of victory in New Zealand and South Africa.

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Post-War Lions tours

The following table lists all Lions tours since World War II:

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