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.
Arthur Robert Smith was a Scotland international rugby union player. He played as a Wing.
Duncan James Macrae was a player for the Scotland national rugby union team playing 9 games at centre between 1937 and 1939., as well as for the British Isles team
Alan Tomes is a former Scotland international rugby union player.
Albert Melville "Mel" Baker was a Welsh international, rugby union wing who played club rugby for Newport and South African regional team Griqualand West. He won three caps for Wales and was selected for the British Lions 1910 tour of 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.
Louis Moritz Speirs was a Scottish rugby union international who played ten times for his country and was part of the first official British & Irish Lions team that toured South Africa in 1910.
Lieutenant-colonel Joseph Edward Crawshay Partridge known as "The Bird" or "Birdie", was a Welsh born British Army officer and international rugby union player who was capped for South Africa and was a member of the Barbarians in that side's first international, played against Wales in 1915. He was also the founder of the Army Rugby Union.
Peter Laurence Duff was a Scotland international rugby union player. He also represented the British and Irish Lions.
Gordon Herbert Waddell was a Scottish rugby union player, a South African politician, and the son of Herbert Waddell. He played for Scotland, the Barbarians and on two British and Irish Lions tours. In fact he is the only Scottish stand off to be a double Lion. He had 18 caps between 1957 and 1962 - this record for a Scotland fly-half was only later broken by John Rutherford. He played 12 times for the Barbarians between 1957 and 1960, scoring in three matches including their 1958 match against East Africa in Nairobi on 28 May 1958. In 1962 he was the controlling influence in Scotland's first win in Wales since the 1930s, a feat not repeated for another twenty years.
Maurice Edward Neale was an English rugby union international who played on a single occasion for his country and was part of the first official British Isles team that toured South Africa in 1910, finishing top try scorer of the series.
The 2005 mid-year rugby union tests refers to the Rugby union Test matches played during between May and July in 2005. It will coincide with the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, playing a 3-test tour against New Zealand. Wales toured North America, playing against Canada and the United States, while Ireland played two tests against Japan.
Anthony Thomas Voyce was an English rugby union player who played in the flanker position. Voyce played club rugby with Gloucester RFC, was capped 29 times for England, and was a member of the British Isles team that toured in 1924.
Anthony O'Connor was a Welsh rugby union player who played in the scrum-half position. O'Connor played club rugby with Aberavon RFC, was capped five times for Wales, and was a member of the British Lions team that toured in 1962. He also represented Oxford University RFC, playing in the 1958 Varsity Match.
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.
Douglas William Cumming Smith OBE was a Scotland international rugby union player. He played as a Wing.
Alexander Stevenson was a Scotland international rugby union player. He played at the Forward position.
Alan Ashcroft was an English rugby union player who played in the Number 8 position. Ashcroft played club rugby with Waterloo FC, was capped 16 times for England, and was a member of the British Lions team that toured in 1959.
George Stevenson was a Scotland international rugby union player. He played as a Centre, but could also cover Wing.
