British and Irish Lions

My provisional British & Irish Lions Women’s squad for New Zealand tour

Jacob Bassford assesses which players from the home unions impressed in the WXV Global series and could have done enough to put themselves in contention for a place in Lions history.

by
The Rugby Paper Team
13 November 2026

Ellie Kildunne scoring for England against Ireland yesterday

By Jacob Bassford

As the dust settles on a compelling and thoroughly interesting WXV, I thought it would be a good idea (famous last words) to have a go at predicting a 38-player squad to go to New Zealand for the inaugural British and Irish Lions Women’s Tour this summer.

38 players was the initial number picked by Andy Farrell for the men’s tour to Australia, so that is the number of players (and division of positions) I have gone with for this hypothetical scenario.

However, given that the Lions Women’s tour will have only have six matches as opposed to the ten matches in 2025, it is likely that Jo Yapp’s squad will be smaller.

Nevertheless, for ease I have gone for the same size squad of 38.

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Form

WXV form has counted substantially in the construction of this squad, with an eye on players returning from maternity leave for the Six Nations.

There’s time of course, for the ‘Lions bolter’ to emerge out of the Six Nations, and it will be interesting to see who that player could be.

Predicting a wildcard bolter is precarious business this far out – I remember all too well Will Greenwood’s prediction that Leinster‘s Adam Byrne was going to be a Lion bolter for the 2017 Men’s Tour to New Zealand – so there will be no out-there selection below (at least in my view).

The advantage of Jo Yapp being head coach is that there should be no massive reliance on players of a single nation.

My concern for the tour that Yapp could be pressured to select on marketability rather than form of players, but my selection is completely form and ability related.

Scrummaging advantage

Several other factors have influenced my construction of the squad.

I have prioritised giving the Lions as much scrummaging advantage as possible.

Cymru’s Maisie Davies and Gwenllian Pyrs make the cut over England‘s Sarah Bern and Mackenzie Carson for this reason.

Linda Djougang’s ability to play at loosehead and tighthead also sees her selected.

The Red Roses dominate the second row to give the Lions ample advantage in the lineout and rolling maul, but there is space for Scotland‘s Sarah Bonar and Ireland’s Dorothy Wall.

I have selected Rosie Galligan and Zoe Stratford, but I am nervous about assuming all players returning from pregnancy will be on the same trajectory that Abbie Ward was, and it is unfair to pile that pressure on those players.

My back-row selection is heavily favoured towards jackal threats to slow down the Black Ferns in attack.

Scotland’s Evie Gallagher, Wales‘s Alex Callender and Ireland’s Aoife Wafer are all in, yet I recognise the chance of them all being fit and firing come August is slim.

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Aoife Wafer Ireland — In action: Ireland back row Aoife Wafer
PICTURE: Getty Images

Problem position

There’s no space for Maddie Feaunati as I prefer Haineala Lutui’s ability to play across the back-five.

It is a shame there will be no midweek tests, as Scotland’s Rachel Malcolm would have made the ideal midweek captain and so – misses out.

Scrumhalf is a problem position for the Lions, the depth across the Home Nations is just not there.

Keira Bevan’s ability to play at both flyhalf and scrumhalf sees her selected, and I back her fellow teammate Seren Lockwood to be first-choice no.9.

I have not selected Mo Hunt, which is a controversial call but arguably justified on WXV form.

Flyhalves were reasonably straightforward with England’s Zoe Harrison and Holly Aitchison both selected.

I have also gone for Scotland’s Helen Nelson.

She’s a player who has always performed well when neither her club nor country have necessarily given her the platform, so could really excel behind a big Lions pack.

Power game: Haineala Lutui on her debut for England against Ireland.
PICTURE: Getty Images

Physicality

Centres were quite hard to pin down.

Wales’s Freya Bell caught my eye in WXV, especially with her physicality against the Springboks.

The playmaking ability of Ireland’s Aoife Dalton also sees her in with England’s Tatyana Heard and Meg Jones likely the first choice centre combination.

The back-three is another problem position for the Lions.

There is no one in the British and Irish Isles that can match New Zealand’s Ayesha Leti-I’iga’s power on the wing.

I have gone for defensively and aerially sound players in my back three selections, and despite WXVs to forget I still have selected Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach, though neither of them would be starters in my view.

So there we go then, here is my full squad for the inaugural British and Irish Lions Women’s Tour of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Do you agree, disagree, or think I am just downright bonkers?