Rugby Australia have opened discussions with New Zealand Rugby about reforming the Anzac XV — featuring a mix of Wallabies and All Blacks — for a clash against the British and Irish Lions.
The Lions will be touring Australia in 2025, and along with three Tests and games against Super Rugby sides, RA chairman Hamish McLennan is keen to explore a clash pitting the best of Australia and New Zealand against the Lions, who are selected from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland.
An Anzac XV last played together against the Lions in 1989, when a trans-Tasman combination played at Ballymore.
“We’ve talked to the Kiwis about hosting an Anzac team against the Lions in 2025 and they’re considering the idea,” McLennan told the Daily Mail.
“I’m in no doubt it would be a belter and we’d sell the MCG out with 100,000 fans.
“The best of the Wallabies and the All Blacks against the Lions would create enormous global coverage.”
In their last match of the 1989 tour, the Lions downed the Anzac XV in a match that saw mostly Australian players turn out for the mixed side.
Stars like David Campese, Nick Farr-Jones and Michael Lynagh played but only three All Blacks were involved — Kieran Crowley, Frano Botica and Steve McDowell.
Another three stars — Richard Loe, John Gallagher and John Schuster — withdrew from the Bob Dwyer-coached side due to injury.
The game fell on a free weekend between New Zealand’s two Tests against Argentina and All Black players made individual choices about whether they’d risk injury and play. Grant Fox, Buck Shelford, John Kirwan and Sean Fitzpatrick were among those who stayed at home.
Reviving the ANZAC XV in 2025 would face a number of sizeable hurdles, not least McLennan convincing New Zealand Rugby to join forces after several years of frosty relations. McLennan has been unashamedly antagonistic towards the NZR over Super Rugby negotiations, saying they’re bad partners and “naughty boys”.
The ANZAC XV of 1989, with only three New Zealand players.Credit:ABC
But McLennan told the Daily Mail the two unions were “friends again” and Rugby Australia would be happy to share the profits of an Anzac-Lions clash.
New Zealand Rugby have been approached for comment.
A huge cheque for New Zealand would appear to be the only realistic way of getting such a game off the ground, given the All Blacks will also be hosting an inbound Test series in July 2025.
Unlike the 1989 Lions tour, which saw the Anzac XV game played after the three Tests against Australia, a 2025 revival would have to fit the game in before the Tests – and thus impact on the All Blacks’ Test plans as well.
Adding another game to the long-term workload of New Zealand players would also be an issue raised.
But if the game somehow got over all those hurdles, selecting a team would undoubtedly generate huge interest and massive debate, with some suggesting Australia would be lucky to get a handful of players in a “best of” team picked on merit.
An Australian-run game would see a balanced team of locals and New Zealand players spread evenly.
If an ANZAC XV game was to happen, given it would have to be before the Test series with the Lions, there may be more chance of a team put together from non-Test squad players, featuring the best of the rest from Super Rugby.
Nick Farr-Jones playing for the ANZAC XV in 1989.Credit:Fairfax
The Super Rugby avenue would also allow players from Fiji and Moana Pasifika to take part, and thus meet McLennan’s previously stated goal of including Pacific Island nations in the 2025 Lions tour.
