British and Irish Lions: Warren Gatland says tours must be protected at all costs
After the Wallabies deny the Lions a series whitewash in Sydney, three-time Lions head coach Warren Gatland calls for the institution to be preserved and protected; watch the 2025 Rugby Championship from August 16 to October 4 exclusively live on Sky Sports.
Saturday 2 August 2025 16:36, UK
British and Irish Lions tours are an institution bigger than rugby itself - and must be protected at all costs.
Those are the thoughts of former Lions head coach Warren Gatland, who reflected on the 2025 edition in Australia after the Wallabies' 22-12 victory in the third Test in Sydney.
It was the Lions' only defeat on Australian soil, as Andy Farrell's squad were denied a historic first series whitewash in 59 years at a rain-soaked, lightning-affected Accor Stadium.
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The Lions' dominance Down Under had prompted calls for future tours to be trimmed down. But Gatland - who saw matches reduced across his three tours as head coach to Australia in 2013, New Zealand in 2017, and South Africa in 2021 - called for the format to be ringfenced.
"We have to do everything we can to protect this - because it's special," Gatland said.
"When I was involved in my first tour, we had 12 games. Then it was reduced to 10, and now it's down to eight. There's been pressure to cut it further - maybe down to six, with just three Tests and three warm-up games. But to me, that wouldn't be a Lions tour.
"You want it to feel like a proper tour. You want the fans involved, the players to have opportunities, and for it to resemble the old tours where they played twice a week. That's what Lions rugby is all about.
"Yes, you can reduce the number of games, and yes, it's tough on domestic competitions and national teams every four years - but people make compromises because this is bigger than the game itself.
"It's hugely important to the southern hemisphere nations, and it's brilliant for the Lions fans, the players, and the experiences they create."
Where does 2025 Lions tour rank?
On what was just the third occasion in eight professional-era tours where the hosts were not reigning world champions, the Wallabies looked set to live up to their billing as the world's eighth-ranked side when they were overpowered by the Lions in the opening Test in Brisbane.
But Joe Schmidt's side rallied impressively from that point on, coming within seconds of winning the second Test in Melbourne and bouncing back from that last-gasp defeat with Saturday's pride-restoring win in Sydney.
As for where the 2025 edition sits in the pantheon of Lions tours, former Scotland captain John Barclay believes only time will tell - but credited Australia for rising to the occasion.
"We probably don't know yet," Barclay said. "There haven't been many tours where the Lions have faced a team ranked as low as eighth in the world. Usually, it's the world champions or a top-three side.
"We saw enough in the first half last week, and again today, from the Wallabies. We weren't sure how they'd respond after such a heart-breaking loss, but they showed up - playing for pride. That's a team I can get behind.
"Do they now go on to cause upsets in the Rugby Championship? Do they challenge for the Bledisloe Cup? Do they build towards a home World Cup in a few years?
"You might look back at these last few weeks and say: this is where it all began."
The Wallabies have a fortnight to dust themselves down from defeat in the Lions series before kicking off their Rugby Championship campaign with back-to-back Tests against world champions South Africa.
Two-time Lions fly-half Dan Biggar believes the upcoming tournament - live on Sky Sports - will serve as another barometer of where Australia stands as a power in world rugby and, ultimately, as Lions hosts.
"We'll probably only know the significance of this tour after the Rugby Championship," Biggar said.
"If the Wallabies go to Ellis Park and win or get beaten by 30 points - either result is possible - that will give us a clearer picture of how the last three weeks have gone.
"Whether they finish top or bottom of the Championship will be a better indicator of where this team really is."
British and Irish Lions tour of Australia on Sky Sports
Watch Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina in the 2025 Rugby Championship from August 16 to October 4 exclusively live on Sky Sports.
