Episode 12 - The British & Irish Lions

Episode 12: The British & Irish Lions - The Power of Four

"Let's be the best at everything that requires no talent."

Paul O'Connell, 2009 Lions Captain.

Enemies in March. Teammates in June.

Once every four years, the British & Irish Lions unite four fierce rivals from two nations under a single red jersey. They set aside history, pride and borders to become something greater - and take that fight across the globe in pursuit of glory.

They ride on the shoulders of giants - legends of rugby and, sometimes, of war. None looms so large as Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne: 20 matches in one epic summer on the 1938 tour - then a leap into legend as one of the most decorated soldiers in British military history. A founding member of the SAS, his story is so wild that fact and myth blur into one, and neither detracts from the other.

Ahead of the 2025 Tour to Australia, we explore the Lions’ proudest moments, the origins of the red jersey, the future of the tour, and the icons who’ve defined it, on the pitch and beyond.

If you're even a fraction as excited as we are, this is your episode.