Owen Farrell will remain eligible for the British and Irish Lions in 2025, despite his decision to leave Saracens and sign for French Top 14 side Racing 92.
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Farrell, who has spent his entire career with Saracens since debuting at 17, has agreed to a two-year deal with Racing starting on 1 July, the club confirmed.
Lions Chief: No Restrictions on Selection
Lions chief executive Ben Calveley has confirmed that Farrell’s move to France will not hinder his chances of Lions selection. “We don’t have a policy that closes off anyone from being selected,” Calveley stated. He pointed to previous Lions tours as examples, citing players who were chosen even when not playing for their national side.
“If you just look at previous Lions tours, we’ve had people come on a tour who haven’t been playing for a national side. Will Greenwood in 1997 is a great example. In 2021, Finn Russell was based in France, so we don’t have any restrictions on selection.”
Speculation Over Selection
The appointment of Owen’s father, Andy Farrell, as Lions head coach has fueled speculation about the younger Farrell’s chances of captaining the side in 2025. While Andy Farrell has a history of impartiality, as demonstrated in 2013 when he encouraged then-coach Warren Gatland to pick Jonny Wilkinson over Owen, the familial connection raises questions about potential bias.
When asked about any potential preferential treatment for Owen, Andy Farrell was clear: “It’s about form; it’s about watching the game properly. Selection, as far as that’s concerned, is the same as for everyone else. No different.”
The current 36-man 2025 Lions squad, according to the bookies
The bolded players in our proposed Lions squad represent the starting XV.
BACK-THREE (6)
- Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland) – 1/16
- James Lowe (Ireland) – 1/8
- Hugo Keenan (Ireland) – 1/5
- Tommy Freeman (England) – 4/9
- Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (England) – 8/11
- Mack Hansen (Ireland) – 2/1
CENTRE (4)
- Bundee Aki (Ireland) – 1/5
- Ollie Lawrence (England) – 1/4
- Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland) – 2/7
- Robbie Henshaw (Ireland) – 8/11
FLY-HALVES (3)
- George Ford (England) – 1/10
- Marcus Smith (England) – 8/15
- Finn Russell (Scotland) – 8/11