BRISBANE, Australia (AP) 鈥� The British and Irish Lions will play a First Nations lineup in Melbourne as part of the nine-game tour of Australia that includes three test matches against .
Rugby Australia confirmed the final itinerary Thursday, 100 days before the Lions tour begins. It also includes a tour match between the Lions and an AUNZ Invitation XV, featuring players from Australia and New Zealand, in Adelaide a week before the first test in Brisbane on July 19.
The July 22 match against the First Nations selection, including Indigenous Australian and Pasifika players, fills a void in the itinerary created when the Melbourne Rebels franchise was dropped from the Super Rugby tournament.
squad which includes players from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England.
It "will be a great celebration of those who continue to contribute enormously to the Australian rugby community,鈥� Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said.
The Lions tour Australia every 12 years in a cycle of southern tours that also include series in South Africa and New Zealand. The 2025 tour kicks off against the Western Force in Perth on June 28.
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AP rugby:
The Associated Press
