Lions Tour 2005 in New Zealand
The 2005 Lions team toured New Zealand from 4 June - 9 July 2005. The rugby tour was the 11th by the Lions and the first rugby tour to New Zealand in the professional era. The Lions last toured New Zealand in 1993. The British and Irish Lions are a combined rugby team made up of the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Although officially established in 1910, combined British Isles sides have been visiting the southern hemisphere since 1888, when the first team toured Australia and New Zealand.
British Lions Tour 2005 Results
The Lions played 11 rugby matches in New Zealand, including 3 test matches against the All Blacks and 1 match against NZ Māori.
| Date | Game | Venue | Result |
| 04 Jun | Lions vs Bay of Plenty | Rotorua | 34-20 |
| 08 Jun | Lions vs Taranaki | New Plymouth | 36-14 |
| 11 Jun | Lions vs NZ Māori | Hamilton | 13-19 |
| 15 Jun | Lions vs Wellington | Wellington | 23-6 |
| 18 Jun | Lions vs Otago | Dunedin | 30-19 |
| 21 Jun | Lions vs Southland | Invercargill | 26-16 |
| 25 Jun | Lions vs All Blacks | Christchurch | 3-21 |
| 28 Jun | Lions vs Manawatu | Palmerston North | 109-6 |
| 02 Jul | Lions vs All Blacks | Wellington | 18-48 |
| 05 Jul | Lions vs Auckland | Auckland | 17-13 |
| 09 Jul | Lions vs All Blacks | Auckland | 19-38 |
Most Points Scored Per Player
| Name (Lions) | Total Points | Breakdown |
| Charlie Hodgson | 53 | 1 try, 8 pen, 12 conv |
| Ronan O'Gara | 49 | 2 tries, 7 pen, 9 conv |
| Shane Williams | 30 | 6 tries |
| Jonny Wilkinson | 24 | 6 pen, 3 conv |
| Stephen Jones | 22 | 6 pen, 2 conv |
| Name (All Blacks) | Total Points | Breakdown |
| Daniel Carter | 44 | 2 tries, 5 conv, 8 pen |
| Tana Umaga | 15 | 3 tries |
| Luke McAlister | 13 | 5 conv, 1 pen |
| Sitiveni Sivivatu | 10 | 2 tries |
| Ali Williams | 10 | 2 tries |
Lions v New Zealand Series Records
| Year | Result |
| 1930 | NZ 3-1 |
| 1950 | NZ 3-0 |
| 1959 | NZ 3-1 |
| 1966 | NZ 4-0 |
| 1971 | Lions 2-1 |
| 1977 | NZ 3-1 |
| 1983 | NZ 4-0 |
| 1993 | NZ 2-1 |
| 2005 | NZ 3-0 |
British Lions Tour 2005 History
Formerly known as the British Isles, the team was nicknamed the Lions in the inter-war period after the emblem on the players’ jersey and lapel badges. The team visits Australia, New Zealand and South Africa on a rotational basis. The tours are hugely popular with Lions fans traveling in their thousands to follow the fortunes of their team.
Out of a total of 38 Tests played between New Zealand and the Lions, New Zealand has won 29 to the Lions’ 6 with 3 drawn. The Lions’ only series victory in New Zealand was in 1971 when the tourists prevailed 2-1, with one drawn test match.
The All Blacks achieved their biggest winning margin against the Lions during their 1983 tour, beating the visitors 38–6. The Lions’ biggest test match win was on the 1993 tour when they beat the All Blacks 20-7.
British Lions Tour 2005 and NZ
New Zealand is not only a great place for playing rugby but also as a holiday destination. The country is always high on the travelers list for a place to visit and Lonely Planet staff voted New Zealand the world's top travel destination for 2004 (for the 2nd year). Take a look around this Web site for information about New Zealand. There's plenty of options for those who want a relaxing break through to the more adventurous traveller.
Much of the content for this profile on the Lions Tour 2005 has kindly been supplied by the New Zealand Rugby Union and the Allblacks.com Web site.
