BBC Sport

The British and Irish Lions will play three Tests in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch on their landmark first women's tour to New Zealand.

The Lions will open their tour with a warm-up match against a Black Ferns XV at the Semenoff Stadium in Whangarei on 4 September in 2027.

Auckland's Go Media Stadium will then host the first Test on 11 September, with the city's iconic Eden Park venue missing out as expected.

Eden Park is considered New Zealand rugby's spiritual home and the country's largest stadium.

The Lions will play an Invitational XV in a midweek match at Hamilton's FMG Stadium Waikato on 14 September before the second Test at Wellington's Sky Stadium four days later.

Christchurch's One NZ Stadium hosts the final Test on 25 September.

British and Irish Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said the tour will be a "hugely significant milestone" which will "create something truly special for the women's game".

While travelling fans have traditionally followed the Lions to the southern hemisphere, it is unknown how many will make the trip to follow the women's team.

The competitive balance of the series is also a potential concern.

After winning six of the previous seven tournaments, New Zealand failed to make the final of the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup, losing to Canada in the semi-finals.

World champions England, who are well clear at the top of the world rankings, have won the past seven Six Nations titles and have beaten New Zealand in their past three meetings, including a 33-12 win at the Go Media Stadium two years ago.

New Zealand Rugby acting chief executive Steve Lancaster said the visit of the Lions promises to be "something truly special".

"Starting in the north and finishing in the south was a deliberate decision to make sure as many parts of the country can get involved in this incredible event as possible," he said.

"Being in iconic New Zealand venues and seeing international rugby of this calibre is going to make this an unmissable experience, and I'd encourage fans to start making plans to be part of this inaugural tour."

September

4 Black Ferns XV, Semenoff Stadium, Whangārei

11 First Test, Go Media Stadium, Auckland

14 Invitational XV, FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton

18 Second Test, Sky Stadium, Wellington

25 Third Test, One NZ Stadium, Christchurch

*Kick-off times to be confirmed

This tour is not trying to masquerade as a carbon copy of the men's Lions, with the scale of stadia, tickets and fixtures all representative of the emerging women's sport market.

This is most starkly seen in the absence of Eden Park. The venue was sold out for the women's Rugby World Cup final in 2022, however the legacy boost for the women's game in New Zealand is yet to fully materialise, making a 50,000 capacity stadium an unrealistic goal.

There's intrigue around the Invitational XV fixture in Hamilton. The Super Rugby Aupiki sides could see domestic success in 2027 earn one of them a shot at facing the Lions, or it opens the door for a Barbarians-style XVs selection.

Interest should also increase around the first Women's Lions head coach.

However, its the tour dates that are the bigger concern. The schedule runs directly up to the start of the men's World Cup in Australia opening on the 1 October.

That means most of the fixtures will be on the same day as men's international warm-up matches.

Rugby media and broadcast attention will likely be focused elsewhere.

Still, the tour should have its own identity and feel. The 'sea of red' associated with men's tours will not be fair comparison for this first women's iteration, as 2027 will become a live case study for how any women's Lions tour should be built in the future.