British and Irish Lions line up ‘box-office’ Pacific Island clash to fill 2025 fixture void

Jared Wright
British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell and Fiji star Semi Radradra.

A blockbuster match between Test one and two is reportedly being lined up for the British and Irish Lions.

The British and Irish Lions are reportedly set to hold talks about potentially facing a Pacific Islands XV in Australia next year.

Following the collapse of the Melbourne Rebels, the Lions have a gap in their fixture list before their second Test against Australia and a select XV from the likes of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa is being lined up as a replacement.

Lions to face a Pacific XV?

According to a report by the Daily Mail, Lions and Rugby Australia officials met in Paris on Saturday to discuss the box-office idea as one of several items on their agenda.

Initially, it looked as if an Australia A team would fill the gap created by the Rebels’ demise but subject to cooperation from the Pacific Island’s unions, the box-office fixture could be pushed through instead.

The report notes that the one stumbling block could be the reluctance of Andy Farrell, the Lions head coach, to face such a stern opposition in a midweek fixture before the crucial second Test.

But with the clash being so late in the tour, it is unlikely to factor into the discussions too much.

This would not be the first time that a Pacific Islands team is formed as such a side played international rugby between 2004 and 2008 before the concept was abandoned.

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Fiji are the only Pacific Island team to have played the Lions previously, famously claiming a 25-21 victory in Suva back in 1977.

The report adds that the Lions and Australian officials are pressing ahead with plans for an ANZAC XV to tackle the tourists before the opening Test match despite concerns of the fixture clashing with the All Blacks and Maori All Blacks’ matches.

One of the solutions is that some of the ex-All Blacks based abroad could be brought into the squad with the likes of Aaron Smith, Brodie Retallick, Shannon Frizell and Sam Cane plying their trade in Japan next year.

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