ANZAC XV,[a] often cited as Australia–New Zealand XV, is a combined rugby union team, consisting of players eligible to represent either Australia or New Zealand. The name "ANZAC" comes from Australia and New Zealand's involvement in World War I. The Australian War Memorial (AWM) states that "the formation in which Australian and New Zealand soldiers in Egypt were grouped before the landing on Gallipoli in April 1915."[4] The team was initially supposed to be a "Barbarian-style" side combining many Wallabies and All Blacks. However many New Zealand-picked players dropped from the squad before the match against the Lions in 1989.[5]
 | |
| Union | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Bob Dwyer (1989) |
| Captain | Nick Farr-Jones (1989) |
| Top scorer | Michael Lynagh (11) |
| Top try scorer | Ian Williams (1) |
| First international | |
 ANZAC XV 15–19 British Lions  (Brisbane; 23 July 1989) | |
History
1989 British Lions tour
The team was first established for the 1989 British Lions tour of Australia.[6] After an initial selection that included seven New Zealand players (Richard Loe, Frano Botica, Wayne Shelford, Michael Brewer, Steve McDowall, John Schuster, John Gallagher),[7] only two of the announced contingent players were still in the final squad to play the Lions by match-day,[8] with many New Zealanders refusing to play for the team.[5][9]
2025 British & Irish Lions tour
In November 2022 (2 years, 239 days before the first test) Rugby Australia (RA) had opened discussions with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) of the possibility of reinventing an ANZAC XV team to play the British & Irish Lions when they tour Australia in 2025. Rugby Australia chairman, Hamish McLennan, whom spoke to the Daily Mail, said: "We've talked to the Kiwis about hosting an Anzac team against the Lions in 2025 and they're considering the idea," adding, "The best of the Wallabies and the All Blacks against the Lions would create enormous global coverage."[9][10]
In July 2023, following the announcement of the Lions full tour schedule for the 2025 tour, it was confirmed that an ANZAC XV team would compete in the series against the Lions again.[6][11][12] There match is the test in-line against the Lions, and will be before the first Lions test against the Wallabies.[12] The teams reinvention got the support of former Wallaby captain, and ANZAC XV captain, Nick Farr-Jones.[11]
Squads
1989
| 1989 squad | ||
|---|---|---|
Props Hookers Locks | Back row Scrum-halves Fly-halves | Centres Back three |
| (c) Denotes team captain Bold denotes player was active within domestic union national team. |
Results
| No. | Date | Venue | Score | Winner | Series/Tour | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 July 1989 | Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane, Queensland | 15–19 | British and Irish Lions | 1989 British Lions tour of Australia | [13][14] |
| 2 | 12 July 2025 | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, South Australia | — | 2025 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia | ||
Statistics
| No. | Player | Tour | Position | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian Williams | 1989 | Wing | 1 |
| No. | Player | Tour | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Lynagh | 1989 | Fly-half | 11 |