The first ever women’s British and Irish Lions team will look to sell out the 74,000-capacity Principality Stadium before an inaugural tour to New Zealand.
The touring team – made up of players from the Home Nations and the Republic of Ireland – will play France in a send-off match sponsored by insurance giant Howden next August before they head down to take on the Black Ferns in a three-Test tour.
Playing a home fixture before a Lions Tour has become a tradition within the men’s game, with the most recent edition seeing Argentina beat the touring outfit in Dublin. London’s Allianz Stadium in Twickenham is yet to stage a so-called “send-off” fixture.
Choosing Cardiff over London will raise eyebrows, however, given England Rugby’s ability to draw in crowds of over 60,000 in each of the last three years, including over 80,000 for the Women’s Rugby World Cup final in 2025.
British and Irish Lions heading west
Lions chief Ben Calveley said that “the Principality Stadium is a special venue with a rich rugby heritage, and it provides a fitting stage for such an occasion”, adding that “we want to put on a show and create a spectacle of the highest level, both on and off the pitch”.
The make-up of the first ever women’s British and Irish Lions team is likely to be heavily English given the Red Roses’s recent dominance of the game. They’re unbeaten in 40 matches, stretching back to the 2021 World Cup final against next year’s tour hosts New Zealand.
The under fire chief of Welsh rugby Abi Tierney said that being “able to welcome the inaugural Lions Women’s team to Cardiff for their home game at Principality Stadium, is something we are incredibly proud of”.
The tour in New Zealand begins on 4 September with a match against a Black Ferns XV before three Tests against the New Zealand international side and one against an Invitational XV.