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### Lions women: One year to historic first Test

BBC Sport • September 10, 2026 at 11:14 PM ET

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It remains to be seen who **Yapp** will select for her backroom staff, but appointments will have to be made sooner rather than later given the impact it could have on the home nations' coaching teams prior to the **2027 Women's Six Nations**. It is understood that conversations are happening now as a priority. Naturally, speculation has already begun, with **Rachel Taylor**, **Sarah Hunter**, **Emily Scarratt**, **Giselle Mather** and **Susie Appleby** among the potential candidates.

The player squad will be announced in May after the Six Nations. Whether that will be a 38-strong squad like the men's in 2025 remains to be seen. There is also the question of who will be given the honour of captaining the team, with England's **Meg Jones** a clear front-runner.

A pre-tour fixture in the UK was mentioned earlier this year, and while we understand that is still going ahead, details are yet to be announced. Alice Soper, New Zealand rugby journalist and co-host of the Full Credit podcast, says if you ask a random person on the street they would probably be unaware the Lions women are coming next year. Apart from some marketing worked into Black Ferns communications, she said "it's been quiet", with women's sports coverage on the decline since the **2022 Rugby World Cup**."In rugby terms, they \[New Zealand Rugby] knocked-on what should have been an easy try.

There were so many things they missed to be able to continue that momentum," Soper said. She also points to poor timing, with the women's domestic leagues having already wrapped up and the small matter of what is happening in Australia a month later. "The real risk is this tour being lost in the noise," Soper said."It's taking place just before the men's Rugby World Cup just across the ditch in Aussie, so the coverage will be wall-to-wall All Blacks at that stage."It's a real test for the strength of the home nation's fanbase. The success of this series will rest on them making the trip to Aotearoa to bring the hype.

They bring that full energy and it may just be infectious enough to spur the locals into action."British and Irish Lions marketing says "more than **124,000 supporters** are expected to enjoy the action in person". Tickets go on sale at the end of this month, while packages ranging from **£1,595 to £14,495** are already available. There is a worry though that stadia will struggle to sell out, with the Black Ferns' recent attendances languishing around 6,000-10,000.

But recent signs show there is cause for optimism. The new One NZ Stadium in Christchurch, the third Test venue, is proving a real draw and has worked hard to build a women's rugby fan base. As a result, **11,793** turned out to watch Matatu take on Chiefs Manawa in June's season opener"New Zealand Rugby has had to start building this audience from scratch," explained Soper. "They are slowly getting there."Super Rugby Aupiki operated as a fully professional, full-time competition for the first time this year and with firmer pathways now in place, the Black Ferns appear to be, what Soper calls "a team that is here to stay rather than sporadically assembled".

The new WXV Global Series will no doubt provide an easy platform to drum up interest for the Lions tour. As luck would have it, the Black Ferns will be in the UK later this month for Tests against Scotland and England, before hosting France in three of the Lions' venues in October. It should at the very least spark up some conversations while we await further announcements.

And for the players and coaches, it is a time to put their hand up for selection and become part of what will be sporting history.

[Read original article](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cly7zlvgg30o)

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