The British and Irish Lions squad has officially been announced for the nine-game tour that begins for the side on June 26th, culminating on August 7th.
They begin with a game against Japan at Murrayfield, before they then travel to South Africa, where they will face six different sides across seven different stadiums – the DHL Stormers, the South African Invitational XV, Cell C Sharks, South Africa A, Vodacom Bulls, their last three games coming against the South African rugby team.
As expected, Wales veteran Alun Wyn Jones, who made his debut for the Lions in 2009, has been named as captain of the side, who will be coached by Warren Gatland for the third series in a row – Gatland was also in charge of the Welsh national side from 2007 until 2019.
The squad will be hoping to go one step further than they did in 2017 – when they tied the series with New Zealand after drawing in their final match together – and go all the way for the first time since 2013.
With so many promising players picked from each of the four home nations, it is set up to be an entertaining tournament for everybody involved with the squad.
Selected players in full:
Alun Wyn Jones (captain)
Backs
Josh Adams: Winger, Wales
Bundee Aki: Centre, Ireland
Dan Biggar: Outside half, Wales
Elliot Daly: Fullback, England
Gareth Davies: Scrum-half, Wales
Owen Farrell: Fly-half, England
Chris Harris: Centre, Scotland
Robbie Henshaw: Centre, Ireland
Stuart Hogg: Fullback, Scotland
Conor Murray: Scrum-half, Ireland
Ali Price: Scrum-half, Scotland
Louis Rees-Zammit: Winger, Wales
Finn Russell: Fly-half, Scotland
Duhan van der Merwe: Winger, Scotland
Anthony Watson: Winger, England
Liam Williams: Fullback, Wales
Forwards
Tadhg Beirne: Lock, Ireland
Jack Conan: Number 8, Ireland
Luke Cowan-Dickie: Prop, England
Tom Curry: Flanker, England
Zander Fagerson: Prop, Scotland
Taulupe Faletau: Number 8, Wales
Tadhg Furlong: Prop, Ireland
Jamie George: Hooker, England
Iain Henderson: Lock, Ireland
Jonny Hill: Lock, England
Maro Itoje: Lock, England
Alun Wyn Jones (c): Lock, Wales
Wyn Jones: Prop, Wales
Courtney Lawes: Lock, England
Ken Owens: Hooker, Wales
Andrew Porter: Prop, Ireland
Sam Simmonds: Back row, England
Rory Sutherland: Prop, Scotland
Justin Tipuric: Flanker, Wales
Mako Vunipola: Prop, England
Hamish Watson: Flanker, Scotland