Australia head coach Joe Schmidt has rebuffed British & Irish Lions demands that more Wallabies be released to bolster provincial opposition during the tourists’ build-up to the three-Test series starting 19 July. Lions chief executive Ben Calveley argued that the tour agreement envisages the Western Force, Queensland Reds, New South Wales Waratahs and ACT Brumbies fielding their full international contingents. Schmidt countered that it is “unrealistic” to expect front-line players to turn out twice in the same weekend, especially with a Wallabies warm-up against Fiji scheduled for 6 July, and said he will ring-fence a core group of about 25 players to prepare for that fixture. Schmidt, speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, added that while some squad members could be released on a case-by-case basis, maintaining player welfare takes priority. Lions head coach Andy Farrell, who wants his side “battle-hardened”, has so far avoided public comment on the dispute, leaving the Lions hierarchy and Rugby Australia to resolve the matter. The exchange adds an early edge to the 2025 tour, which opens this week with the Lions facing the Reds in Brisbane before continuing a four-game provincial programme ahead of the first Test in Sydney.