British and Irish Lions tour to Australia will be 'most important thing in world sport by a country mile' - Andy Farrell
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Published 27/06/2025 at 09:56 GMT+1
British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell is in no doubt that this summer's tour of Australia will be "the most important thing in world sport." Speaking in an interview with The Telegraph, the Ireland coach explained how "special" the tour is, while lifting the lid on some emotional conversations with players. "It's the pinnacle for everyone," Farrell added.
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Andy Farrell has hailed the British and Irish Lions tour as the "most important thing in world sport by a country mile" ahead of his team’s first match on Australian soil.
The Lions suffered defeat to Argentina in Dublin last week ahead of their departure and will look to get back on track against Super Rugby side Western Force in Perth on Saturday.
It is the first of four warm-up games against Australian club sides before the serious business starts: a three-Test series against the Wallabies between July 19 and August 2.
Farrell has been tasked with leading the tourists to their first Test series victory in 12 years, since they last went Down Under in 2013, and the Ireland head coach left no doubt about how big an honour he feels his role is.
"To me, when the Lions tour gets going, when we get down to the Tests, to the business end, it will be the most important thing in world sport by a country mile, whatever is going on," Farrell said in an interview with The Telegraph.
"It will. That is just a fact. It shows the importance of it. Nobody will believe it until we actually get to that point, but then everyone will start to believe it, because the facts will be there: the supporters, the build-up, the hype and all of that. That’s when they will realise how special it is."
Lions fever is starting to spread again, four years on from the ‘Covid tour’ to South Africa where no fans were allowed to attend games in empty stadiums.
Farrell has named a strong side for Saturday’s clash with Force at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
Star Scotland fly-half Finn Russell comes into the side along with five Irish stars set to make their Lions debuts: hooker Dan Sheehan, centre Garry Ringrose, lock Joe McCarthy, flanker Josh van der Flier and wing James Lowe.
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Farrell was eager to highlight what pulling on the red shirt means for those debutants and other members of the squad after having some emotional phone calls around squad selection time.
"Some of the conversations that I have had have been the best conversations I have ever had in my life," Farrell said.
"People ask me, 'Are you taking the piss?’ or, ‘Is this a wind up?' Phoning up the lads or staff, it just shows how much it means to people, that is how it should be.
"Some end up being pretty short conversations because they got so emotional because it’s the pinnacle for everyone. When people get emotional, I think, ‘that is exactly the power of the shirt.’"
One of the biggest reactions came from Ireland prop Finlay Bealham, who did not make the initial selection but was drafted in following an injury to Scotland’s Zander Fagerson.
"Finlay was one of the best conversations that I’ve ever had," Farrell said.
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"He was in the gym, training with a few of the Connacht lads. He’d seen a missed call, so he popped out of the gym, which wasn’t right, because he should have phoned me back after he’d done the gym session.
"But he’s puffing and panting. I said, ‘Is everything OK? How’s your fitness?’ I’d already given him a heads-up that he could be around the squad for Argentina.
"I said, ‘Well, you’re in for a couple of weeks for Argentina – and to add to that, you’re coming on tour, part of the full squad’.
"I don’t know what was going on at the other end of the phone, but... they are the best parts. It just shows what it means to people.
"He brought me to…he brought me a little bit that way, emotionally, because I know what it means. So, they’re brilliant conversations, aren’t they? I take the piss out of the lads who were crying on stage or whatever. But it’s real, isn’t it? It shows what matters."
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