British and Irish Lions squad announcement LIVE: Maro Itoje named CAPTAIN for 2025 tour, Henry Pollock also gets called up – updates

That's all from us!

Ireland and England heavily represented on the tour, with Wales only getting two names read out this afternoon.

Leinster are the most represented club side on the tour, with four each from Northampton Saints and Glasgow Warriors also going on the tour.

Maro Itoje was named the first English captain of the Lions since Martin Johnson in 2001, and 20-year-old Henry Pollock was given the call for the tour.

Irish captain Caelan Doris misses out after picking up an injury, as does fly-half Sam Prendergast, with Marcus Smith included as the third fly-half alongside Finn Russell and Fin Smith.

The most represented clubs

Which clubs will have the most representation this summer?

• Leinster - 12 players
• Northampton Saints - four players
• Glasgow Warriors - four players
• Saracens - three players
• Bath, Sale, Edinburgh, Connacht - two players
• Leicester, Bristol Bears, Munster, Ospreys, Toulouse, Harlequins, Gloucester - one player

What it means

A breakdown...

Ireland are very well represented, but Welsh fans will have to look away...

• Ireland - 15 players
• England - 13 players
• Scotland - eight players
• Wales - two players

The Smiths

Marcus and Fin were battling for the number 10 shirt in the Six Nations, and now they will go at it again in the summer.

There was a lot of talk about who would go at fly-half, and Marcus Smith's chances looked slim after spending much of the Six Nations at 15.

However, they are BOTH going on the tour.

Tomos Williams on being picked

The Welsh number 9 said: "I did shed a tear.

"I never get nervous but I've been an emotional wreck the past two days.

"I can't put it into words really."

Only two Welsh players

After a couple of poor seasons for Wales in the Six Nations, they only have two players on the tour.

Flanker Jac Morgan and scrum-half Tomos Williams are the only two from Wales who will be on the Lions tour.

A step backwards from when Alun Wyn Jones captained the tour in 2021.

Ben Earl: "What a leader"

Back row Ben Earl has nothing but positive words for Saracens teammate Maro Itoje, who will captain the tour:

"So pleased for Maro, not had a chance to speak to him because he didn't turn up to training today.

"No one deserves it more."

Earl spoke to the live crowd via camera.

Henry Pollock gets the call

The young flanker has got people talking up and down the country this season, and now he will be headed to Australia in the summer.

He is a real character in the game, and has gone from strength-to-strength this season.

He scored a brace on debut for England, and has looked the real deal at just 20-years-old.

Now, he is officially a British and Irish Lion.

No room from Prendergast

Sam Prendergast will have to hope his name is called next time, as Andy Farrell decided not to pick the Irish fly-half for his tour squad.

In the end, the coaching staff went with Finn Russell, Fin Smith and Marcus Smith for their tour squad.

George Ford, Owen Farrell and Jack Crowley will also miss the tour.

The 47th Lions captain

Maro Itoje is the 47th British and Irish Lions captain, just a few months after he became England captain.

He is the first English player to captain the Lions since Martin Johnson.

Maro Itoje on when he found out

"I found out on Tuesday, I got a call on Tuesday from an Irish number - and I don't have any Irish numbers in my phone!"

Alun Wyn Jones joins the stage

2021 British and Irish Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones is here ahead of the captain announcement.

The skipper for the tour is to be announced imminently...

Andy Farrell feeling relaxed

The Lions head coach is on the stage, and said: "I'm feeling great, I'm pretty chilled actually, my job is done."

Ieuan Evans will have the hard job, reading out the names for the crowd.

Ready to go!

History will be made as around 37-40 names are selected to go on the tour this summer!

The show is LIVE - you can catch it on Sky Sports Main Event, or on the Lions YouTube channel.

The back row debate

We've already mentioned Henry Pollock as a bolter, but he is one of a HUGE number of options Andy Farrell has to pick from in the back row.

For those who maybe don't know, the back row is the number 6, number 7 and number 8.

There are a number of excellent options from all four of the represented rugby sides in the Lions, with names like Jac Morgan, Tom Curry, Josh van der Flier and Rory Darge all in contention.

England also have names such as Ben Earl, Tom Willis, Jack Willis, Ben Curry and Courntey Lawes, along with many others.

A real headache for Farrell.

A conundrum at 10

Finn Russell will be on the tour, and will probably start at fly-half, with the Scottish 10 being one of the best on the planet.

But, beyond that, it is unclear.

There has been speculation that Andy Farrell will pick his son, Owen Farrell, despite the former Saracens man not playing for England since his departure from the capital.

English fly-half Marcus Smith looked favourite to go as the second fly-half 12 months ago, but the emergence of namesake Fin Smith meant his fly-half minutes for England have been limited.

Irish fly-half Sam Prendergast is also in contention, although his defensive game has left a lot to be desired, but his attacking game is superb.

Fellow Irish 10 Jack Crowley is all but out of contention, and George Ford looks as though he could miss out on the tournament.

Lions bolter?

A "bolter" in rugby refers to a player who is inexperienced, overlooked and out of favour.

Well, look no further than Northampton Saints sensation Henry Pollock.

Prior to this season, Pollock had one Premiership appearance for the Saints, but now is one of the first names in Phil Dowson's XV.

He scored two tries for England on his test debut in the Six Nations against Wales, and last weekend put on a show against Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris in Dublin, two great back row options.

He has shown he can mix with legends of the game, and every hurdle put before him he jumps over with ease.

As such, there have been calls for the 20-year-old to go to Australia, but will Andy Farrell pick him?

Captain Maro

Maro Itoje was given captain duty from fellow Saracens player Jamie George by Steve Borthwick for England ahead of the 2025 Six Nations.

Itoje thrived in the role, and helped England to retain the Calcutta Cup, score a famous win over France, and finish just behind the French when all was said and done.

Now, Andy Farrell is set to name him as the captain of his Lions side.

Irish captain Caelan Doris had been favourite to captain the tour, but an untimely injury in Leinster's Champions Cup defeat to Northampton Saints meant he is all but ruled out of the tour.

Even with Doris, there were calls for Itoje to go on tour as captain, but reports last night suggest that Itoje will be named skipper today.

Time for the Lions!

Andy Farrell and Co will head down under this summer, taking on Australia in a three game series.

Farrell had coached Ireland to back-to-back Six Nations titles in 2023 and 2024, but his side fell short in his absence this year.

Coached by Simon Easterby in the 2025 Six Nations, Ireland came third, but are still expected to be well represented in the squad selection.

Easterby will join Farrell in the coaching staff, alongside former Irish fly-half Johnny Sexton.

England were the highest finishers of the four sides represented through the British and Irish Lions in the 2025 Six Nations, so expect a plethora of English talent in there as well.

Scotland are also expected to have a number of individuals in the side, but for the Welsh, a poor few years mean their representation may be few and far between.

Flanker Jac Morgan may have been in contention for captain after an injury all but ruled Caelan Doris out of contention, but reports suggest Maro Itoje will head down under as skipper.