Andy Farrell’s men might have had the last laugh over the Western Force, but the ground announcer at Perth’s Optus Stadium got in early with some savage trolling of the ‘southern hemisphere’ Lions ahead of kick-off.
With the 46,656 fans almost nicely wedged in their seats ahead of the Lions’ 54-7 drubbing of the Force, the ground announcer fired the opening shots as he announced the line-ups.
“Our former Aussie at No. 14, Mack Hansen,” the ground announcer said as went through the visiting team one by one.
“Another Aussie at No. 12, Sione Tuipulotu.
“At No.11, it’s the Kiwi now Irishman, James Lowe.
“At prop, the former SA schoolboy now Scotsman, Pierre Schoeman.”
The British and Irish Lions were trolled by the ground announcer in Perth ahead of the tour opener in Perth on June 28, 2025. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
The trolling didn’t go unnoticed, with the touring British and Irish press pack putting the moment out on social media and working it into their copy.
The Telegraph – one of England’s biggest newspapers – wrote: “There was needle, of course. These provincial sides are desperate to leave a few bruises, be it to bodies or egos. The stadium announcer had the first go as he read out the teams.”
The Guardian’s veteran writer Rob Kitson wrote: “The public address had also given the pot a gentle stir, referring to ‘our former Aussies, Marck Hansen” and “another former Aussies, Sione Tuipulotu” in a not-so-subtle dig at the mixed heritage of several Lions players on this tour. Then again the former England hooker Nic Dolly had been due to feature for the Force before withdrawing just before kick-off, so the never-ending nationality debate works both ways.”
What Kitson failed to mention was that Dolly was born in Sydney and only left for England when he was 17.
The make-up of Farrell’s squad has been one of the talking points over the past couple of months, with eight southern hemisphere players, including three Australians, three New Zealanders and two South Africans, selected.
Canberra-raised Finlay Bealham didn’t feature against the Force, nor did New Zealand products Jamison Gibson-Park and Bundee Aki. South Africa’s Duhan van der Merwe was another who didn’t back up against the Australian Super Rugby side.
The decision to include so many foreigners hasn’t been missed.
Earlier this month, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, who oversaw the Irish national side for seven years, delivered a subtle line about the midfield that lined up against Argentina.
“Yeah, the southern hemisphere centre partnership will be pretty formidable, I think,” he said at his first Wallabies squad announcement to take on Fiji next weekend in Newcastle.
Southern hemisphere-born backs Bundee Aki (L) and Sione Tuipulotu formed the Lions’ midfield against Argentina. (Photo by Seb Daly/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Former Lions Willie John McBride and Danny Care have previously criticised the size of the foreign legion.
“Whatever I say here, you’re going to get stick. You open yourself up to it,” he told the BBC Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
“It doesn’t sit that well with me that some of these… both your starting wingers are going to be lads that never, ever once in their childhood or even their mid-20s ever dreamt of wearing a red Lions jersey.
“It is what it is, it’s the rules, and why not. If you’re James Lowe or you’re Duhan van der Merwe or you’re [Jamison] Gibson-Park, you go, ‘oh, I’ll play for the Lions, yeah.’
“We’re not going to change it, but it just doesn’t… I think there’s a lot of people that feel the same but can’t say it.”
Former Wallaby Anthony Abrahams has long decried World Rugby’s eligibility laws that have allowed for the easier movement between nations.
Just last week, Abrahams described the Lions as “completely ersatz” in a poem.
Lions assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth hit back at the criticism last week.
“Everyone has earned the right to pull on the Lions jersey,” he said.
“They are, to a man, incredibly proud to be here. It is not your background or how you have got here. It is what sort of player are you and what sort of man you are and we have got great men and great players.”
