British & Irish Lions to Play Indigenous and Pacific Islands Heritage Team in Australia

Dylan Pietsch, an Australia international and Wiradjuri Burray man, participated in the Wallabies’ 42-37 victory against England earlier this month. The British and Irish Lions are scheduled to compete against a team composed of players with Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islands heritage during their tour of Australia next summer. This fixture replaces a previously planned match against the Melbourne Rebels on July 22, as the Super Rugby team has since entered administration following the initial announcement of fixtures in July 2023. Phil Waugh, Rugby Australia’s chief executive, stated his intention to attract high-profile players for the match. “We have some great talent with First Nations heritage,” he informed the Sydney Morning Herald. “So it was a matter of how do we will pull those ideas together to make a very special game in a massive tour?” He added, “The preference will be to have Australian-eligible players of Pacific and First Nations backgrounds, and high-profile players to drive a high level of interest.” Experienced back Kurtley Beale, who competed against the Lions in 2013 and is presently recuperating from an Achilles tendon injury; Fijian-born Marika Koroibete, who was not selected for the Wallabies this autumn; and fellow wing Dylan Pietsch, whose artwork is set to appear on the Australia jersey during the tour, are all potential candidates to participate. Waugh has also confirmed his pursuit of New Zealand internationals currently playing club rugby overseas, rendering them ineligible for All Black selection, to form a trans-Tasman ‘Anzac’ team, which will include both Australian and Kiwi players, to face the Lions on July 12. Although Waugh did not name specific individuals, Richie Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell, both of whom started the 2023 Rugby World Cup final for New Zealand, are currently ineligible for Test rugby due to playing professionally in Japan. Scrum-half Aaron Smith, who retired from international rugby following the tournament, is also competing in Japan’s Rugby League One. “There are conversations beginning,” Waugh stated. “We certainly want to get some high-profile Kiwi players, and given France are in New Zealand then, the sensible place to test some conversations would be the New Zealand players who are offshore. We are starting to engage with some clubs and players.” In the first Test of the 2013 series, Beale missed a potentially match-winning kick when his standing foot slipped on the Suncorp Stadium turf in Brisbane. Rugby Australia has forecast that the Lions’ nine matches Down Under will constitute the most highly attended tour in history, with over 500,000 spectators attending in person. Robust ticket sales have been driven by the Wallabies’ successful commencement of their northern hemisphere tour this month. Triumphs against England and Wales have created the possibility of achieving their first ‘Grand Slam’ tour in 40 years, should they defeat Scotland and Ireland on November 24 and 30, respectively.