The British &Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England,Ireland,Scotland,and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national team,although they can pick uncapped players who are eligible for any of the four unions. The team tours every four years,with these rotating between Australia,New Zealand and South Africa in order. The most recent test series,the 2021 series against South Africa,was won 2–1 by South Africa.
Barry John was a Welsh rugby union fly-half who played in the 1960s and early 1970s during the amateur era of the sport. John began his rugby career as a schoolboy playing for his local team Cefneithin RFC before switching to the first-class west Wales team Llanelli RFC in 1964. Whilst at Llanelli,John was selected for the Wales national team—as a replacement for David Watkins—to face a touring Australian team.
Philip Bennett was a Welsh rugby union player who played as a fly-half for Llanelli RFC and the Wales national team. He began his career in 1966,and a year later he had taken over from Barry John as Llanelli's first-choice fly-half. He made 414 appearances for the Scarlets over the course of a 15-year career he scored 131 tries,43 drop goals,293 pens and 523 convs. He made his Wales debut in 1969,but it was not until John's retirement from rugby in 1972 that Bennett became a regular starter for his country. He led Wales to the Five Nations Championship title,including the Grand Slam in 1978,which culminated with his retirement from Wales duty.
David John Duckham MBE was an English rugby union player. He played 36 games for England,in three tests on the 1971 British Lions tour to New Zealand and for Barbarians F.C. in their 1973 defeat of New Zealand.
Michael Clive Teague is an English rugby union player who played for the British Lions.
Sydney John Dawes was a Welsh rugby union player,playing at centre,and later coach. He captained London Welsh,Wales,the 1971 British Lions and the Barbarians. He is credited with being a major influence in these teams' success,and in the attractive,attacking,free-flowing rugby they played. Dawes also had considerable success as a coach with Wales,and coached the 1977 British Lions. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1972 New Year Honours List for services as Lions captain.
John Wilson Kyle,most commonly known as Jack Kyle,was a rugby union player who represented Ireland,the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians during the 1940s and 1950s. Kyle was a member of the Irish team that won the grand slam in the 1948 Five Nations Championship. In 1950,Kyle was declared one of the six players of the year by the New Zealand Rugby Almanac. Kyle is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame and was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame before the two halls merged to form the current World Rugby Hall of Fame. He was named the Greatest Ever Irish Rugby Player by the Irish Rugby Football Union in 2002.
Alun Wyn Jones is a Welsh former international rugby union player who played as a lock. He played most of his career for Ospreys and for the Wales national team. He is the world's most-capped rugby union player,with 158 caps for Wales and 13 for the British &Irish Lions,and also holds the records for the most Wales caps and the second most Wales caps as captain. He retired from rugby in 2023.
Rodger Arneil is a former Scotland international rugby union player. He was played on two British and Irish Lions tours - to South Africa in 1968 and New Zealand in 1971,the second tour as a replacement.
Malcolm Campbell Thomas was a Welsh and British Lions international rugby union player. A centre,he played club rugby for Newport. He won 27 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on two tours of Australia and New Zealand.
David Revell "Darkie" Bedell-Sivright was a Scottish international rugby union forward who captained both Scotland and the British Isles. Born in Edinburgh,and educated at Fettes College where he learned to play rugby,he studied at Cambridge University and earned four Blues playing for them in the Varsity Match. He was first selected for Scotland in 1900 in a match against Wales. After playing in all of Scotland's Home Nations Championship matches in 1901,1902 and 1903,Bedell-Sivright toured with the British Isles side –now known as the British &Irish Lions –that toured South Africa in 1903. After playing the first 12 matches of the tour,he was injured and so did not play in any of the Test matches against South Africa.
William Rex Willis was a Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Cardiff and invitational rugby for the Barbarians. He won 21 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1950 tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Clifton Davies was a Welsh international prop who played club rugby for Cardiff and invitational rugby for the Barbarians. He won 16 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1950 tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Ernest Raymond "Roy" John was a Wales and British Lions international rugby union lock. He played club rugby for Crynant and Neath. John was capped 19 times for Wales and was a member of two Grand Slam winning teams. In 1950 he was selected for the 1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia. John was an agile runner for a lock,but was most notable for his excellent ability in line-outs.
The British &Irish Lions toured New Zealand during June and July 2017. The Lions,a rugby union team selected from players eligible to represent England,Ireland,Scotland or Wales,played ten matches:against all five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises,the NZ Provincial Barbarians,the Māori All Blacks and three test matches against New Zealand.
Noel Joseph Henderson was a rugby union player from Northern Ireland,who played in the centre position. Henderson played club rugby with North of Ireland F.C.,was capped forty times for Ireland,and was a member of the British and Irish Lions team that toured in 1950.
James William McKay was an Irish rugby union player who played for Ireland,the British Lions and the Barbarians during the 1940s and 1950s.
Gordon Rimmer was an English rugby union player who played in the scrum-half position. Rimmer played club rugby with Southport RFC and Waterloo FC,represented Lancashire county,was capped 12 times for England,and was a member of the British Lions team that toured in 1950.
Michael Francis Lane is an Irish rugby union player who played in the wing position. Lane played club rugby with University College Cork,represented the Munster provincial team,was capped 17 times for Ireland,and was a member of the Lions team that toured in 1950.
