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British & Irish Lions and Rugby Australia announce 'joint venture'

17 Apr 2023

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

The British & Irish Lions and Rugby Australia have announced a new joint venture for the 2025 Tour to Australia. The joint venture model was introduced for the 2021 Tour of South Africa and aims to bring together two of the biggest brands in world rugby to work collaboratively and engage with fans in a more effective way.

According to the terms of the joint venture, the Lions and Rugby Australia will combine their commercial offerings to provide broadcasters, partners, and licensees with the opportunity to fully leverage and activate across a centralised programme. With fan engagement being a key priority for both organisations, the joint venture will support a collaborative approach to data, digital, and social content, giving both organisations the chance to engage with the growing global rugby fanbase. Additionally, the joint venture model will bring fans closer to the action with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from both camps.

The 2025 Tour to Australia is set to be one of the most eagerly anticipated tours in history, especially considering the absence of fans for the 2021 Tour of South Africa. The Lions and Rugby Australia will aim to maximise the Tour’s offering by working together to provide a more engaging and collaborative experience for rugby fans worldwide. This joint venture model has proven successful in the past and is expected to be a key factor in the success of the 2025 Tour.

Ben Calveley, CEO of The British & Irish Lions commented, “We are incredibly excited to be working in partnership with Rugby Australia for the 2025 Tour. Our purpose is to unite and inspire through extraordinary rugby experiences and the creation of this joint venture sees the Lions unite with Rugby Australia to develop the best possible fan engagement and commercial platform for the Tour.

“This collaborative approach will ensure that 2025 reaches new heights, especially with the return of tens of thousands of travelling Lions supporters and will be a global sporting event not to be missed.”

Commenting on the announcement, Rugby Australia CEO, Andy Marinos, said: “Rugby Australia is thrilled to be welcoming The British & Irish Lions back to these shores for the first time in 12 years.

“A Lions Tour is one of the great occasions in sport, and we are looking forward to welcoming the Lions and their fans back to Australia – especially after the last few years of global uncertainty due to COVID.

“It is especially pleasing to be able to confirm the commercial joint venture that we are entering into with the Lions – and we firmly believe that this agreement presents both parties with the best opportunity to realise the commercial potential of this Tour while engaging deeply with all sports fans.

“With the Lions Tour in 2025, and home Rugby World Cups in 2027 and 2029, we have a real opportunity for Rugby in Australia to establish a legacy that will benefit the game in this country for decades to come.

“We have now begun our work with the Lions to ensure we deliver a Tour that captures the imagination of fans across Australia and Lions fans around the world, as well as maximising the commercial return –it is an exciting opportunity for us all.”

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Comments on RugbyPass

Tom 45 minutes ago

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Well that is scientifically correct but I've never thought of him as being especially short. He seems to be about the same height as Furlong, fairly average prop size. I think his massive quads give the illusion that he's shorter.

https://extra.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/1-70.jpg

Even though squatting the same weight requires more force for someone with longer levers, his max squat may be significantly higher than some other props. There is a vid of him repping out 230kg for a set of 8 and he's reputed to have a 1RM of 350kg so by anyone's standards, regardless of how short you are, that's very strong.

31 Go to comments

Koro Teeps 50 minutes ago

Damning image of Lion emerges after series win with major backlash online

Lyrics that instantly remind me of the infamous Porter technique.

“Two trailer-park girls go round the outside. Round the outside, round the outside”

I think he’s a beast of a prop. But once you get a reputation for having suss technique, you’re constantly going to be scrutinized.

Razor dropped Wyatt Crockett after 202 Crusaders games, ending his career, before 2018 final because of concerns that ref would ping him.

31 Go to comments

frandinand 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

I was born in Elgin Scotland Mz. And also played a lot of Rugby in Scotland before playing in France.From memory you live up on the Darling Downs. How cold did it get up there when we had the snow m

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Koro Teeps 1 hour ago

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Definitely.

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Red and White Dynamight 1 hour ago

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URC is so lame, noone cares. Remove Leinster/Munster/Bulls and its a competition between teams scraping together players who arent good enough for Top14 and the Premiership. Zebre would struggle for points in NPC. Game points.

2 Go to comments

Red and White Dynamight 1 hour ago

Generation gap: Can we meaningfully compare players separated by half a century?

Time is irrelevant, Meads/John/Gerber/Campese would still have been great players irrespective of whether they trained full time or not. But its folly to compare era’s between a farmer/Dr/coal miner with a fulltime pro - Amateur era vs Professional era, and never the twain shall meet.

3 Go to comments

LR 1 hour ago

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Women of colour, where you at?

3 Go to comments

GS 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

What were your thoughts on how the Lions’ backs performed?

I thought they were average - Freeman was very average, Jones was passable, but and this is a big problem for Ireland going forward - Lowe (34 next birthday) and Aki (36 next birthday) look like they're starting to feel the effects of time.

Aki made more mistakes than I have seen recently and was challenged aerobically in finishing games 2 and 3. Lowe looked powerful but other than a nice pass to set up Beirne for a try, was mistake ridden and seemed ponderous. Do have to wonder exactly how long they have at the top level - given not many people can survive at the international level in their mid 30’s - especially in a position like wing.

145 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Failed NZ model? Number one for most of the period since rankings were introduced and currently top two despite our secondary school system which oversees a catastrophic loss of teenaged boys. You seem to have a very high bar for success.

Having said that, I'd be in favour of Australia relaxing their selection policy as they have so many of their best players overseas.

145 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Nice piece Nick! Big Skelton lifting big Frosty Boy is quite a weapon.

Btw I wouldn't limit the testing of the Lions to the last two matches, I'd say it was the last three. That First Nation and Pasifika team gave them a good going over and showed Joe how it had to be done. I was expecting big roles for Uru and/or LSL in green and gold but it never happened.

145 Go to comments

NH 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Agreed - Bell, Tupou, Hooper, Lukhan all could of made a difference game 1 as well as guys like paisami, pietsch and daugunu in the backs. I think Harry’s point of difference is his workrate and speed to next involvement and his hands. But, all in all I think the wallabies backrow will never quite be balanced with him and bobby on at the same time. Wallabies have wanted a fardy ever since he left and now we arguably have 4 in L Wright, Nick CDC, Uru and Hooper. I think those lot have a tight battle for the 6 jersey, and valetini, wilson, gleeson for the 8. Do you see Hooper as a 6 only, or do you think he can play in the 2nd row also?

145 Go to comments

GH 1 hour ago

Mick Cleary: 'These blokes have done the jersey proud, with their buy-in and with their relish.'

Once upon a time the Lions were a team made up of English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish rugby players. Now if I am even remotely accurate it’s a team of players from around the world, who might in fact not have made their own country’s side, and or players from the second and third tier nations moving to Europe for the bigger pay day (who could blame them?) . So for me the Lions tour has lost its lustre. Australia has never fared as well as NZ and SA with touring lions, but I feel they really stepped up, and are probably a wee bit unlucky not to have taken what is for me a closer series than the score board reflects. One could hardly image what a combined NZ , SA and Australian touring side would look like were it to head north and play a similar format. God forbid you even included Argentina into that mix. I’m even tempted to suggest a NZ PI side would be pretty formidable as well.

11 Go to comments

JW 2 hours ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Australia has much more player depth than New Zealand, though I’m mainly using raw professional numbers to determine ‘depth’.

The just aren’t able to retain then because a) the union/game in the country isn’t as profitable, and b) because the team doesn’t quite have the same status.

Agree with your points, though would get you to note that it happened before the Dutch timber came to the land of growth. The previous years with Darry and Lord offered great promise first (not even on year with short locks after Whitelock and Retallick retired).

145 Go to comments

JW 2 hours ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

It was cool having the birds eye cam in this test. Does Porter just have a complex for big dudes and angling in is his coping method, or was that actually a normal picture? Hate to pick on the guy but I do know he’s one of the most penalized props, so I guess has the worst technique?

As you say Australia were dominating everything, I’m not sure Tupou helped the scrum but him and Will definitely helped with the psychological battle of a test, which is probably the most important thing.

And you’re right regarding selection, if its good enough for France, it’s good enough for Australia. Joe should simply select these players regardless of their club commitments, they can leave it to the clubs to rest the players adequately to replicate an off season when they return from international duty, during the club season.

145 Go to comments

GK 2 hours ago

Mick Cleary: 'These blokes have done the jersey proud, with their buy-in and with their relish.'

Farrell probably didn't mix things up enough and probably had a bias towards Irish players but, then again, the Lions won the series. As for the last test, it was much more important for the Wallabies to win - not just for their own sake, but for the future of International Rugby Union!🇳🇬

11 Go to comments

KC 2 hours ago

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Couldn’t get a game for Racing and a poor Lions tour

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PM 2 hours ago

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Keep your eye on Sam Harris at Bath next season, they also think he will do exceptional things and is one of the quicker top speed players at the club (was injured for most of last season).