British and Irish Lions Women to Face France in Historic First Match

What changed

The British and Irish Lions women will play their first-ever fixture against France at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Friday, 27 August at 19:30 BST. The match will be the opening step toward a five-match New Zealand tour in 2027, including three Tests beginning in Auckland on 11 September.

Why it matters

This is more than a new shirt and a ceremonial first whistle. England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales players will have to become a functioning team quickly, with France arriving as the world’s fourth-ranked side and a recent winner against Australia and Canada.

Cardiff gives the match a proper stage. A record 21,186 watched Wales lose to England at the stadium in 2025, so the Lions women have a clear benchmark for the send-off they want.

The following week brings a Black Ferns XV in Whangarei, before Tests in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The Cardiff match is therefore both a landmark and a sharp rehearsal: the result is unknown, but the challenge is already clear. Jo Yapp’s team must build cohesion at speed before facing New Zealand on tour.