Lions tour 2025: Former All Blacks coach Ian Foster on staff for AUNZ Invitational XV

Ousted All Blacks coach Ian Foster has been brought in to coach the AUNZ Invitational XV for their clash against the Lions. Photo / Photosport

Ousted All Blacks coach Ian Foster has been brought in to coach the AUNZ Invitational XV for their clash against the Lions.

Rugby Australia has confirmed the final nine-game tour schedule for the British and Irish Lions Series and has also released the final ticket allocation.

The tour will also include an historic clash with the First Nations and Pasifika XV. It is the first time such a team has been assembled.

Foster’s three years as All Blacks coach ended after an agonising one-point World Cup final defeat to South Africa in 2023.

In a controversial move, New Zealand Rugby opted to appoint Scott Robertson to succeed Foster prior to the World Cup.

As he stepped down from the All Blacks, Foster made it clear he planned to continue coaching.

Having spent decades working in rugby, including 12 years with the All Blacks, Foster’s contribution to the game earned him inclusion in this year’s New Year’s Honours list, making him a companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

The AUNZ Invitational XV will play the Lions in Adelaide on July 12.

British and Irish Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said, “It is fantastic to confirm the match schedule for the 2025 tour.

“Everyone at the Lions is hugely excited about ... the added fixture against a First Nations and Pasifika XV at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium.”

He said more than half a million people were expected to attend, hailing it as “an amazing spectacle in one of the greatest sporting countries in the world”.

Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said the tour would be “absolutely unforgettable”.

Waugh said, “It’s incredibly exciting to be able to offer the last available tickets.

“With just 100 days to go until the first match, it’s certainly not far away and whether you’re a lifelong rugby supporter, a general sports fan or someone who loves live events, this tour is something you must be a part of.

“It’s particularly pleasing to have tickets available across all categories, allowing more Australians, and those travelling, to be there in the stands for what truly is a bucket-list live sporting event,” Waugh said.

“We’re also thrilled to be able to confirm the First Nations and Pasifika XV match in Melbourne, which will be a great celebration of those who continue to contribute enormously to the Australian rugby community.”

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