How often do the British & Irish Lions lose their warm-up games?

We look back at all the professional era tours to see how often the British & Irish Lions lose pre-Test warm-up matches British & Irish Lions tours aren’t just about those three eagerly anticipated Tests against the host nation. The warm-up games against club sides, Super Rugby franchises and specially assembled XVs are every bit as integral to the touring side’s DNA. Indeed, they’re as much an opportunity to experience the culture of another country as a useful tool for the coaching staff trying to assemble an elite team in a matter of weeks. This year’s British & Irish Lions fixtures include seven warm-up matches: a Dublin clash with Argentina before the team flies out to Australia; games against Super Rugby sides the Western Force, the Queensland Reds, the NSW Waratahs and the ACT Brumbies; and two encounters with invitational teams – a combined Australia and New Zealand outfit, and the first ever First Nations & Pasifika XV. With the British & Irish Lions squad featuring the very best players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, Andy Farrell’s team will go into most of their warm-up matches as overwhelming favourites. But unfamiliarity with teammates, new surroundings and – occasionally – a bad day at the office can all combine to stop the tourists in their tracks. Here we look back at all seven previous tours of the professional era to see how the Lions have fared in their warm-up matches. How many warm-up matches do the British & Irish Lions usually lose? As the graph below shows, the Lions tend to have an extremely high win percentage in their warm-up matches.   The Lions have never achieved a 100% record in the professional era, though the 2009 Lions did go unbeaten during their warm-up games in South Africa. Their sole draw came in a midweek match against the Emerging Springboks. Form in the warm-ups isn’t necessarily an indicator of what’s to come in the Tests, however. Related: The full 2025 British & Irish Lions squad That 2009 team went on to lose the Test series against the Springboks 1-2, while the 2017 Lions who drew against the All Blacks – widely regarded as one of the most talented squads this century – had the lowest win rate of the professional era. It’s also worth noting that the Lions have never been thrashed in a warm-up game over the last three decades – in fact, if such things were available on tour, they’d always have claimed a losing bonus point. Their biggest warm-up defeats since 1997 have been the 22-16 loss to the Blues in 2017, and the 19-13 loss to New Zealand Māori in 2005. When the Lions have lost, the average margin of defeat has been a mere 3.86 points. Lions Warm-up matches on previous tours 2021 (South Africa) In a truncated schedule featuring just six warm-up matches, the Lions came out on top against Japan (at Murrayfield), the Lions, the Stormers and the Sharks (twice). Their sole warm-up loss was a 17-13 defeat to a South Africa A team in Cape Town. Number of warm-up matches: 6 Warm-up record: W5 D0 L1 Warm-up win percentage: 83% Test series result: Loss (1-2) 2017 (New Zealand) While Warren Gatland’s squad were regarded as heroes for drawing the Test series against the All Blacks (their best result since the legendary 1971 team of Gareth Edwards and Willie John McBride) they only won half of their matches on tour. As well as the loss to the All Blacks, there were reverses against the Blues and the Crusaders, and a draw against the Hurricanes. Victories came against the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians, the Crusaders, the Māori All Blacks, the Chiefs and, of course, the All Blacks. Number of warm-up matches: 7 Warm-up record: W1 D1 L2 Warm-up win percentage: 57% Test series result: Draw (1-1) 2013 (Australia) The only Lions side to win a Test series this century started the 2013 tour with a five-match winning run against the Barbarians (in Hong Kong), the Western Force, the Queensland Reds, a Combined Country team and the NSW Waratahs. The ACT Brumbies sneaked a 14-12 win before Gatland’s team returned to winning ways in the first Wallabies Test, before beating the now-defunct Melbourne Rebels. Number of warm-up matches: 7 Warm-up record: W6 D0 L1 Warm-up win percentage: 86% Test series result: Win (2-1) 2009 (South Africa) The only Lions squad of the professional era to make it through their warm-up matches unbeaten got off to a spectacular winning start, beating a Royal XV, the Golden Lions, the Free State Cheetahs, the Sharks, Western Province and the now-disbanded Southern Kings. Their sole draw, against the Emerging Springboks, was sandwiched between two Test defeats to South Africa. Number of warm-up matches: 7 Warm-up record: W6 D1 L0 Warm-up win percentage: 86% Test series result: Loss (1-2) The midweek team had a 100% record in New Zealand in 2005 – rather better than the Test team’s. (David Rogers/Getty Images) 2005 (New Zealand) The 2005 tour is usually remembered for the subsequent whitewash in the Test series (and various on- and off-field controversies), but the warm-up games didn’t go badly at all. In fact, the midweek “dirt trackers” – who head coach Clive Woodward opted to manage separately from the Test team – came home with a 100% record. This Lions squad started out with a draw against Argentina (in Cardiff), and won against Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Wellington, Otago, Southland, Manawatu and Auckland. Their sole warm-up defeat came against New Zealand Māori. On a Saturday. Number of warm-up matches: 9 Warm-up record: W7 D1 L1 Warm-up win percentage: 78% Test series result: Loss (0-3) 2001 (Australia) If it wasn’t for a narrow defeat to Australia A, the 2001 Lions would have made it through to the second Wallabies Test with a clean sweep of Ws (against Western Australia, Queensland Preidents XV, the Queensland Reds, the NSW Waratahs, NSW Country and the ACT Brumbies). Two defeats to Australia ended the tour on a downer. Number of warm-up matches: 7 Warm-up record: W6 D0 L1 Warm-up win percentage: 86% Test series result: Loss (1-2) 1997 (South Africa) The first tour of the professional era – and the first to South Africa since 1980 – ended in a famous Test series victory for the Lions. Before that, wins against an Eastern Province XV, Border, Western Province, Mpumalanga, Gauteng Lions, Sharks, the Emerging Springboks, Free State and Northern Free State were punctuated only by a defeat to Northern Transvaal. Number of warm-up matches: 10 Warm-up record: W9 D0 L1 Warm-up win percentage: 90% Test series result: Win (2-1) Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.

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