Australia Confirms 2025 Tour of England for Ashes Series

Australia plan to tour England in 2025 for a three-match Ashes Test series, marking the first such series in over 20 years. RL Commercial, the commercial division of the Rugby Football League has confirmed that it has begun “initial conversations” with the Australian Rugby League Commission about relocating the series to England. Originally, officials announced that this revamped Test series would occur in Australia as part of revisions to the international rugby league calendar in 2023.

However, they have now shifted plans to bring the series to England. This tour will be significant as it will mark the first time since 2003 that the Kangaroos have played in an Ashes series which previously featured contests between Australia and Great Britain. The last scheduled tour in 2020 faced cancellation due to the Covid-19 pandemic and eight years have passed since England last hosted Australia in a home international.

The last encounter took place in 2016 when Australia triumphed 36-18 at the London Stadium during the Four Nations tournament. In a statement, RL Commercial expressed excitement about the prospect of bringing the Kangaroos to England for this long-awaited series emphasizing its potential to energize both the England team and British rugby league fans.

They believe that current Australian players will appreciate the chance to emulate the legendary athletes of the past. The original Ashes series began as a best-of-three matchup between Australia and Great Britain with a total of 39 contests held since the inaugural series in 1908. Australia secured a three-game whitewash in the last complete Ashes series in 2003.

The upcoming discussions about the series come after changes to the international rugby league calendar. Australia will now host the men’s, women’s and wheelchair World Cups in late 2026 because France withdrew from hosting the tournament.