The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for any of the Home Nations – the national teams of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The Lions are a Test side, and generally select international players, but they can pick uncapped players available to any one of the four unions. The team currently tours every four years, with these rotating among Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The 2009 Test series was lost 1–2 to South Africa, while the 2013 Test series was won 2–1 over Australia. The most recent series, the 2017 series against New Zealand, was drawn 1-1.
The Australia national rugby union team, nicknamed the Wallabies, is controlled by Rugby Australia. The team first played at Sydney in 1899, winning their first test match against the touring British Isles team.
The Fiji national rugby union team competes every four years at the Rugby World Cup, and their best performances were the 1987 and 2007 tournaments when they defeated Argentina and Wales respectively to reach the quarterfinals. Fiji also regularly plays test matches during the June and November test windows. Fiji also plays in the Pacific Tri-Nations, and has won the most Pacific Tri-Nations Championships of the three participating teams.
The New Zealand national rugby union team has played 34 matches against Wales, winning 31 of them. The first Test match between the two sides was played in 1905 at Cardiff Arms Park, with Wales winning 3–0 when the All Blacks were in Wales as part of their European and North America tour. The loss was said to be controversial wing Bob Deans claimed to have scored a try that would have brought them level. However, Wales were generally considered the better team with the All Blacks playing particularly poorly in the first half of the game. Two more Welsh victories in the next 50 years were balanced by a defeat by the 1924 All Black "Invincibles". Since the last loss New Zealand have won 25 encounters and Wales winning 0. Wales also played the touring New Zealand Natives team at St Helens on 22 December 1888 defeating them by 1 Goal to nil and the New Zealand Services at Cardiff on 21 April 1919, with Wales losing 6–3. Wales has accorded both of these matches 'test' status but neither game is considered to be an official test by New Zealand. Wales has also played the New Zealand Maori in Cardiff on 13 November 1982 defeating them 25–19. Neither country accorded that game test status.
The first clash in rugby union between Australia and New Zealand took place in a test match on 15 August 1903 in Sydney, New South Wales. On that occasion, New Zealand won by 22-3.
The 1956 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia and New Zealand, more commonly known in New Zealand as the 1956 Springboks tour was a series of rugby union matches played by South Africa in Australia and New Zealand. The Springboks won 21 matches of 29, drew 1, and lost 7. They played 6 Test matches, with two victories over Australia and one over New Zealand. The New Zealand leg of their trip was the primary focus of the tour—23 of their 29 matches were in New Zealand, which included a four Test match series against the New Zealand test side.
The 1974 New Zealand rugby union tour of Ireland, Wales and England was a series of eight matches played by the New Zealand national rugby union team in November 1974.
The 1921 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia and New Zealand was the third tour made by the Springboks rugby team, and their first tour to Australia and New Zealand. South Africa played three Test matches against the All Blacks. The series was drawn 1–all, and the long-running controversy between the countries over the All Blacks' inclusion of Maori players began.
The 1920 New Zealand tour rugby to New South Wales was the ninth tour by the New Zealand national team to Australia. The three most important matches on the tour were played against the New South Wales selection, and the All Blacks won the 3 match series 3–0.
The 1922 New Zealand tour rugby to New South Wales was the tenth tour by the New Zealand national team to Australia.
The Queensland Rugby Union had collapsed in 1919 and would not be reborn until 1929 leaving the New South Wales Rugby Union to administer the game in Australia at the national representative level. In 1923 the New South Wales side toured New Zealand In 1986 the Australian Rugby Union decreed the five full-internationals played on the tour as official Test matches.
The 1925 New Zealand tour rugby to New South Wales was the 12th tour by the New Zealand national team to Australia.
The 1926 New Zealand tour rugby to New South Wales was the 13th tour by the New Zealand national rugby union team to Australia.
The 1929 New Zealand tour rugby to New South Wales was the 14th tour by the New Zealand national rugby union team to Australia.
The 1992 New Zealand tour rugby to Australia and South Africa was the 28th tour by the All Blacks to Australia, and their 6th tour to South Africa. It was first official visit by the New Zealand team to South Africa since the controversial tour of 1976.
The 1949 New Zealand Māori rugby union tour was a collection of rugby union games undertaken by the New Zealand Māori against invitational and national teams of Australia.
The 1949 Australia rugby union tour of New Zealand was a series of 12 rugby union match played by the "Wallabies" in 1949. The Australians lost only one match, and won the Test series 2-0.
The 1960 New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa, was a series of rugby union match played by New Zealand national rugby union team in South Africa and Rhodesia.
The 1965 South Africa rugby union tour of Australasia was a long series of matches played in 1965 by South Africa national rugby union team in Australia and New Zealand. It was not a successful tour. The Springboks lost both test matches against Australia and three of their four matches with All Blacks.
