- Perth announced as host city for first match of British & Irish Lions 2025 Rugby Tour
- First time the Lions have played in WA in more than 10 years
- Match secured with the support of the Western Australian Government
Perth has secured another international rugby event after it was confirmed as host city today for the opening match of the British & Irish Lions Rugby Union tour in 2025.
The Western Force will take on the visiting team in June 2025 at the award-winning Optus Stadium.
The news comes as Perth was also named the Australian exclusive host of the HSBC SVNS Series in 2024 and 2025, with both announcements part of the 'golden decade' of Rugby in Australia, that culminates in the Rugby World Cup in 2027 and 2029.
All three Rugby events are proudly supported by the Western Australian Government.
The 2013 British & Irish Lions tour attracted a crowd of more than 35,000 to Subiaco Oval when the squad played the Western Force, with the global broadcast of the nationwide tour reaching almost 22 million people.
The British & Irish Lions tour has been bringing together the best rugby players from across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland to locations in the southern hemisphere since 1899, with the team touring Australia, New Zealand or South Africa every four years to play matches against the home nation teams.
The United Kingdom is the largest of WA's 11 key international visitor markets, with almost 20 per cent of all WA's international visitors - or more than 100,000 travellers - coming from the UK over the year ending March 2023.
The 2025 Western Force vs British & Irish Lions match is proudly supported by the WA Government through Tourism WA's Major Events funding pool.
Read more at rugby.com.au.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"Some of the best players in the northern hemisphere will be playing against the Western Force here in WA.
"This is a century old tradition which I'm pleased we're able to host in WA again. It comes off the back of our other major events we've secured to put WA on the map in becoming one of the top event destinations in the South-East Asian market.
"In WA we're fortunate to have many Western Australians who have an English, Irish, Scottish or Welsh lineage so this will be welcomed within these communities too.
"Hosting events like these are great for the code - they also provide a significant boost to our local economy, getting more people into WA and into pubs, bars and other hospitality and tourism venues."
As stated by Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:
"The WA Government is proud to be hosting the opening match of this now 124-year-old touring tradition, which is set to bring thousands of fans to the award-winning Optus Stadium in 2025.
"This is another feather in the cap for Western Australia as a sporting destination and comes just a day after it was announced Perth would be one of eight global cities to host the HSBC SVNS over the next two years.
"The British & Irish Lions Rugby match will give visitors another great reason to come to Western Australia, as we continue to build our relationship with the UK, as a key visitor market, through this opening tour match.
"It is fantastic to add this match to our ever-growing major events calendar and encourage visitors to experience WA's wonderful natural experiences, premium hospitality offerings and world-class Rugby at the same time."
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman:
"I am sure we will see a fantastic spectacle when the British & Irish Lions take on the Western Force at Optus Stadium in June 2025, and I look forward to Perth being front and centre as the tour kicks off right here in Western Australia.
"There's a firm appetite for Rugby Union among Western Australians, so we expect this match will have a huge appeal for local and visiting fans at the award-winning Optus Stadium, while helping cement Perth's status as a premium sporting capital."
