Lions fans snap up Australia tour packages in record numbers

Interest in the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia next year has already broken all records, with over 10,000 official travel packages already purchased by supporters just four months after going on sale.

That figure already exceeds the highest number of packages sold for any previous tour despite there still being over a year to go until Andy Farrell’s squad depart for the nine-game tour of Australia. It is more than double the amount of people who travelled to Australia for the tour in 2013.

Lions’ officials have also revealed that demand for the pre-tour game against Argentina in Dublin has also been unprecedented. The number of supporters entering the ballot for tickets suggests that they could have sold out the Aviva Stadium – which has a capacity of 51,700 – over five times, given the level of interest.

There have also been over 100 million video views on Lions social media channels this year – a figure already higher than for the entire 2021 tour of South Africa, when global pandemic restrictions meant the games had to be played behind closed doors.

Pent up demand has led to the explosion of interest in next year’s tour, according to Shane Whelan, the Lions director of digital, marketing and communications, who revealed that one video clip of a cloud of steam emanating from a scrum when the Lions faced the Maori All Blacks on the 2017 tour had been played over 45 million times.

Whelan said the Lions scrum video has more views than any video posted by the NFL account on Instagram during this year’s Super Bowl, including the kiss between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, and also has surpassed the numbers for former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s recent farewells to fans. Significantly, over 50 per cent of supporters on the official Lions social audience are now aged 18-34.

“Our digital platforms enable us to connect with our global fan base of some 14 million in innovative ways and this is really important to the Lions,” Whelan told Telegraph Sport. “Ahead of what’s set to be a record-breaking tour in 2025 the appeal and anticipation is reflected in the digital engagement across our various platforms, and the huge demand we’re seeing from fans including for the pre-tour fixture in Dublin.

“Following the absence of fans at the Covid-impacted 2021 tour we are excited to see this enthusiasm translate into a sea of red in Australia, supported by those watching around the world in little over a year.

“The challenge from a Lions perspective is that we traditionally have a four-year cycle between Tours and so we must rely heavily on archive moments to keep fans engaged between each Series on social media.”

The interest comes despite concerns that Australia, who failed to get out of their pool at the Rugby World Cup in France last year, will not offer the same level of competition as the previous tours against the Springboks and the All Blacks.

The financial collapse of the Melbourne Rebels, who were due to play against the Lions between the first and second Tests against the Wallabies, has also forced Rugby Australia to consider alternative opposition such as Super Rugby Pacific side Moana Pasifika.

Yet with Joe Schmidt, the former Ireland head coach, now tasked with rebuilding the Wallabies following the departure of Eddie Jones, there is an expectation that the number of Lions supporters travelling is likely to surge over the next 12 months, with expats from the four Home Unions in Australia also sourcing thousands of tickets.

“The results of the videos have certainly been fantastic, and we’re thrilled to be connecting with a younger audience a year away from the tour,” added Whelan. “But the key thing for us is how we can use those incredible numbers to get a more meaningful understanding of our fans and ensure we are converting the millions who follow us on social media into passionate supporters.”