2017 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
| 2017 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand | |
|---|---|
| Date | 3 June – 8 July |
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TBA →
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The 2017 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand will be a rugby union tour of New Zealand by the British and Irish Lions during June and July 2017. The tour will see the British and Irish Lions play 10 matches, including all five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises, a Provincial Union XV side, the Māori All Blacks and three test matches against New Zealand. The Lions will look to win their first test series against New Zealand (commonly called the All Blacks) since 1971,[1] while also making a first back to back series win, following a 2–1 series win over Australia in 2013, since their 1971 and 1974 winning series. The Lions will be selected from players that represent England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.[2]
Schedule
The 10-match schedule was announced on 9 July 2015, which will see the Lions play the New Zealand Super Rugby franchises for the first time. Previously, they played the provincial sides.[3]
Initially, the Lions were looking to set up a match against the United States in America to open the tour, much like the Barbarians match in 2013.[4] However, on 6 July 2015, it was announced the idea had been scrapped due to some American players unable to be released by their clubs to make the match competitive enough.[5] Also, a match versus the Pacific Islanders was proposed in 2014.[6][7]
In New Zealand, there was criticism that there were too many matches in the North Island with only two matches being played in the South Island. Christchurch was initially planned to host a test match but due to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake which damaged Lancaster Park beyond repair, it was deemed that the remaining stadiums in the South Island were too small to host a test match.[8]
| Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 June | Provincial Union XV | vs | British and Irish Lions | Toll Stadium, Whangarei |
| 7 June | Blues | vs | British and Irish Lions | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 10 June | Crusaders | vs | British and Irish Lions | AMI Stadium, Christchurch |
| 13 June | Highlanders | vs | British and Irish Lions | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin |
| 17 June | Māori All Blacks | vs | British and Irish Lions | Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua |
| 20 June | Chiefs | vs | British and Irish Lions | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton |
| 24 June | New Zealand | vs | British and Irish Lions | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 27 June | Hurricanes | vs | British and Irish Lions | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| 1 July | New Zealand | vs | British and Irish Lions | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| 8 July | New Zealand | vs | British and Irish Lions | Eden Park, Auckland |
References
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- ↑ O'Driscoll wants Lions match in Pacific Islands - ESPN Scrum, 19 July 2014
- ↑ Samoan star calls the Lions the ‘most stuck-up’ team in the world after Pacific Island snub - The 42, 21 July 2015
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