New Zealand Blacks Ferns perform the haka. File photo. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
A British and Irish Lions Tour rugby tour of Aotearoa will see its first women's team play three test matches against the Black Ferns in 2027.
The tour will be held in September and comprise at least five games, including the three clashes with six-time world champions New Zealand.
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop said $3.9 million from the Major Events Fund had been set aside to support the series, which will take place ahead of the 2027 men's World Cup in Australia.
"We've seen from the recent women's World Cups that Kiwis love a chance to see world-class teams competing up close in our own backyard," Bishop said.
"This is going to be a historic moment for rugby, and I can't wait to see the very first women's Lions team take on our world champion Black Ferns. This tour is going to be epic."
Joanah Ngan-Woo of New Zealand steals the ball from England during a lineout in the final seconds of the 2022 Rugby World Cup final. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said hosting the games was a milestone for women's rugby.
"Hosting this tour gives our players a pinnacle event that will be a highlight in their career and it provides an aspirational pathway for our emerging players," he said.
"There is nothing quite like a Lions tour to engage and excite fans. We think this will have a unique flavour, a freshness and excitement to it like we saw during the Rugby World Cup.
"We will be taking this tour around the country; it will genuinely be something that all Kiwis can get behind and get excited about."
The announcement comes after a feasibility study into a potential women's tour, which looked at a range of aspects, including rugby, brand, commercial, financial, spectator, logistical and scheduling considerations.
Men's Lions tours, which feature squads made up of players from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, have taken place since 1888.
They currently tour New Zealand, South Africa and Australia on a four-year rotation, although they also visited Argentina on three occasions in the first half of the 20th Century.
Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee said the tour would further increase the "value and visibility of women's sport" in New Zealand.
"The action on the field is set to be matched by positive economic benefits as we look forward to seeing Kiwis pack stadiums and welcoming the legion of fans that will come to New Zealand for this landmark tour," Lee said.