The home game will be held at the Principality Stadium, with kick off at 19:30, as the first opportunity for fans to see the Lions women’s team in action. France are currently ranked fourth in the world (as of 19 October 2026), with England the only one of the home nations to be ranked higher.
Following the home game, the Lions will fly to New Zealand before the tour begins on Saturday 4 September with the Lions playing a Black Ferns XV. The following three Saturdays are when the Lions will play their three test matches against the Black Ferns, as well as playing an invitational XV on Tuesday 14 September.
Displaying early signs that this team will combine the best players and staff from across the four nations.
The Lions have also announced three staff appointments to support Head Coach Jo Yapps, with Charlie Hayter appointed as General Manager of High Performance, Josie Symonds joining as Head of Athletics Performance and Eimear Flannery named as Head of Operations. The former two join on secondment from the Rugby Football Union and the Scottish Rugby Union respectively whilst Flannery has previously worked with the Irish Rugby Football union. Displaying early signs that this team will combine the best players and staff from across the four nations.
With the WXV Global Series now almost finished, it has been the first major opportunity for players to put their hand up for selection for the British and Irish Lions team, with Jo Yapps attending several of the games. The players now have further opportunities within their domestic leagues, Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) and the Celtic Challenge to fight for their place in the squad next summer.
The Lions Women’s tour shows that the women’s game is growing, however opportunities in the North East are limited. At a university level, Newcastle University women’s first team compete in Women’s Premier North, the second BUCS division after BUCS Super Rugby, where they are currently third in the table out of six teams.
... there are limited opportunities to get involved in top level rugby with no North East based team in the PWR since the 2022/23 season ...
However, outside of university there are limited opportunities to get involved in top level rugby with no North East based team in the PWR since the 2022/23 season, when DMP Sharks could not meet the league’s increased requirements for investment. Additionally, the most northern based team in the second division Championship North is Driffield Women, based near York, showing that Women’s Rugby teams are concentrated in the south of England.
Earlier this year the PWR invited expressions of interest from organisations in the UK and Ireland looking to join the league, a good opportunity to establish a team in the North East, but it is unknown if Newcastle Red Bulls responded to this, leaving the future of women’s rugby in the North East in question despite the growth of the game on an international level.