Exactly one year before their historic first Test, the British and Irish Lions women's team have confirmed they will face six-time world champions New Zealand at Auckland's Go Media Stadium on 11 September 2027, the opening match of a three-Test series. Lions chief executive Ben Calveley called it a "hugely significant" milestone for the women's game, while New Zealand Rugby described the tour as a landmark moment for the sport globally, though questions remain over squad selection, coaching appointments and whether the tour can generate sufficient public awareness ahead of kick-off.

The month-long tour begins in Whangarei before the first Test in Auckland, followed by a midweek game in Hamilton and further Tests in Wellington and Christchurch. Former England captain Jo Yapp, the first Lions Women head coach, has pledged to pick the strongest possible squad rather than make token selections, with the full squad due to be named in May after the Six Nations and England's Meg Jones tipped as a leading candidate for captain. New Zealand journalist Alice Soper warned that promotion of the tour has been muted, citing declining coverage of women's sport since the 2022 World Cup and poor scheduling against the men's tour to Australia, raising concerns the tour could be "lost" amid competing sporting attention.