New Zealand exploring radical British & Irish Lions Test series change
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Proposal.
New Zealand Rugby is reportedly exploring the possibility of staging an All Blacks Test against the British & Irish Lions in Australia during the 2029 tour.
The Lions will return to New Zealand in three years’ time for the first time since their dramatic drawn series in 2017, but one of the biggest games of the tour could potentially be taken across the Tasman.
According to The Australian, the MCG in Melbourne is being floated as a possible venue for an All Blacks-Lions Test as New Zealand Rugby considers ways to maximise the commercial value of the tour.
No decision has been made, with the full schedule for 2029 still to be finalised. A three or four-Test series is reportedly among the options being considered.
Taking an All Blacks Test against the Lions outside New Zealand would represent a radical change, but the MCG has already demonstrated the enormous crowds the tourists can attract in Melbourne.
A total of 90,307 supporters packed into the famous stadium for the second Test between Australia and the Lions in 2025, setting a new rugby union attendance record at the ground.
The Lions won that match 29-26 with a late try before eventually taking the series 2-1.
The potential Melbourne fixture comes as New Zealand Rugby looks at ways to address significant projected financial losses over the coming years, despite the considerable windfall expected from hosting the Lions in 2029.
There could also be further changes to the traditional Lions touring model, with The Australian reporting that France and Italy are being considered as possible opponents on the way to New Zealand.
The Lions last toured New Zealand in 2017, when the tourists recovered from defeat in the opening Test to level the series in Wellington before a 15-15 draw at Eden Park left the series tied at 1-1.
Plans for 2029 remain at an early stage, but moving an All Blacks-Lions Test to Melbourne would make the next tour of New Zealand unlike any that has come before.
