# Lions women play first-ever Test before New Zealand tour

> The British and Irish Lions women's team will face France in Cardiff on 27 August before their 2027 tour to New Zealand, marking a historic first fixture for the side.
- Title: Lions women play first-ever Test before New Zealand tour
- Summary: The British and Irish Lions women's team will face France in Cardiff on 27 August before their 2027 tour to New Zealand, marking a historic first fixture for…
- Keywords: british and irish lions, lions women, france, new zealand, rugby union, jo yapp, cardiff, principality stadium, sports, Lions, women, play
- Source: BBC Sport — https://bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cwly01vdjpvzo
- Published: 2026-10-14T09:00:24.565+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: british and irish lions, lions women, france, new zealand, rugby union, jo yapp, cardiff, principality stadium, sports
## Lions women make historic debut
The British and Irish Lions will play their first-ever women's fixture against France at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday, twenty-seventh August at seven thirty pm BST.
## Yapp calls it a once-in-a-lifetime moment
Head coach Jo Yapp said the fixture is special. She said there are moments in sport that only come around once, and this is one of them.

> There are moments in sport that only come around once - and this is one of them
## France are fourth-ranked and tough opponents
The Lions face France, ranked fourth in the world. France were semi-finalists at the twenty twenty-five World Cup and runners-up to England in the last seven Six Nations championships.
## Five-match New Zealand tour follows
After France, the Lions travel to New Zealand for a five-match tour. They face a Black Ferns XV in Whangarei on fourth September, then three Tests in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
## Cardiff crowd could set new record
A crowd of twenty-one thousand one hundred eighty-six set a record for a Wales women's home game in any sport at Principality Stadium in twenty twenty-five. Yapp's side hopes for a bumper crowd.
## Isherwood: unifying players quickly is key
Lions women's committee chair Carol Isherwood said bringing together the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and unifying them quickly is a tough job with little time.

> It's like bringing the Harlem Globetrotters together, but you've had no time and they'll all come from different systems
## France match will test Lions' preparation
Isherwood said the opening game against France will be tough. Men's Lions teams have struggled in home fixtures, drawing with Argentina in Cardiff in twenty twenty-five and losing to the Pumas in Dublin last year.
## Key takeaway

The Lions women will play their first-ever fixture against France in Cardiff on 27 August, a warm-up for their five-match tour to New Zealand starting in September.