The British and Irish Lions officially begin their Australia tour today, meeting Super Rugby’s Western Force in Perth.
The summer got off to a disappointing start last week as Andy Farrell’s side were beaten 28-24 by Argentina in a warm-up clash in Dublin, losing their claim to the 1888 Cup.
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They came back into contention after trailing 21-10 at the break thanks to a well-timed booking for Mayco Vivas, but could not get the comeback over the line.
The Lions have not had long to get themselves shipshape, with a run of nine games over six weeks looming large. The tour Down Under will culminate in a Test triple-header against the Wallabies.
After finishing ninth of 11 in their 2025 Super Rugby campaign, the Western Force could present a good opportunity for the Lions to get back to winning ways.
They have named a strong side for the tie, though, after Lions CEO Ben Calveley warned Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt about releasing Australia players for tour matches.
After meeting the Western Force, the Lions will face the Queensland Reds, New South Wales Waratahs, ACT Brumbies and both an Invitational Australia and New Zealand XV and First Nations and Pasifika XV, in addition to their Test matches.
How to watch Western Force vs British and Irish Lions
TV channel: Today’s match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action. Coverage begins from 10am BST ahead of an 11am kick-off at Optus Stadium in Perth.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can catch the action online via the Sky Go app. The match will also be available via NOW TV.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
