The Lions legends who’ve pulled on that famous red shirt more than anyone else, from Willie John McBride to Mako Vunipola
Making it into a British & Irish Lions squad is an achievement, while earning a place in the Test side lifts a player to a whole other level.
Achieving a spot among the most capped British & Irish Lions of all time requires maintaining fitness and consistency over a remarkable period of time, especially now that the cream of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales are limited to three Test matches every four years.
The record-breaking tourists plied their trade in a variety of positions over nearly seven decades of trips to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. So, with the 2025 Lions tour to Australia about to kick off, we’ve looked back through rugby history to find the 10 most capped British & Irish Lions players of all time (test match appearances only).
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1. 17 caps
Willie John McBride (Ireland)
Willie John McBride is the most capped British & Irish Lion of all time.
(INPHO/Tom Maher)
Ulster lock Willie John McBride picked up his 17 Lions caps over five separate tours, heading to the southern hemisphere in 1962, 1966, 1968, 1971 and 1974.
Remarkably he had to wait until his 10th match before tasting victory in the famous red shirt, but that unwanted record would be long forgotten by the time he played in the famous team who beat the All Blacks in ’71.
The most capped British & Irish Lions player was also British & Irish Lions captain on the unbeaten tour of South Africa three years later.
2. 13 caps
Dickie Jeeps (England)
Northampton and England scrum-half Dickie Jeeps had the unusual distinction of playing for the Lions before he’d turned out for England.
He played on the 1955, 1959 and 1962 tours, visiting South Africa, Australia and New Zealand along the way, and his 13 Test caps for the Lions were a record until he was overtaken by McBride. After retirement Jeeps had a stint as president of the RFU.
=3. 12 caps
Mike Gibson (Ireland)
Like fellow Ulsterman McBride, Ireland centre Mike Gibson earned his Lions Test caps over five tours – 1966, 1968, 1971, 1974 and 1977 – of which he won three (including that famous victory in New Zealand). His 12 Test caps were just a fraction of the 68 appearances he racked up on tours, scoring 22 tries in the process.
Graham Price (Wales)
Pontypool prop Graham Price started a remarkable 12 consecutive Tests for the Lions, playing all four internationals on the 1977, 1980 and 1983 tours. In 1977 he also played in an unexpected defeat to Fiji, and a victory over the Barbarians in one of the few Lions games to be played in the UK or Ireland. Neither, however, was counted as a full Test match.
Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
Like fellow Welshman Price, Alun Wyn Jones played 12 consecutive Tests for the Lions. And, while he didn’t start all of them – he came off the bench in a couple of games in 2009 – his caps were spread across a remarkable four tours (2009, 2013, 2017 and 2021). Jones (the most capped British & Irish Lions player of the professional era) also turned out in non-Test matches against the Barbarians (in Hong Kong in 2013) and Japan (in Edinburgh in 2021).
=6. 10 caps
Tony O’Reilly (Ireland)
Ireland wing Tony O’Reilly played for his country for over 15 years, and while he only travelled twice with the Lions (in 1955 and 1959), he certainly crammed a lot into those tours.
As well as playing all 10 Tests in South Africa, and Australia and New Zealand, he scored 38 tries in 38 appearances – a record that stands to this day.
RH Williams (Wales)
Like O’Reilly, Rhys Haydn Williams squeezed his 10 consecutive Test appearances into the 1955 and 1959 Lions tours to South Africa, and Australia and New Zealand, respectively.
The second row (who won 23 caps for Wales) also played 38 times for the Lions, though – unlike O’Reilly – had to wait until his final game for his solitary try in the red shirt.
Gareth Edwards, one of the greatest of all time, is also one of the most capped British & Irish Lions players (Allsport UK /Allsport)
Gareth Edwards (Wales)
It’s no surprise to see Gareth Edwards on this list, seeing as the legendary Welsh scrum-half is regarded by many as the GOAT.
Touring in 1968, 1971 and 1974, he played in all four Tests on that famous trip to New Zealand, and maintained his unbroken run of consecutive starts in the unbeaten jaunt to South Africa that followed.
=9. 9 caps
Syd Millar (Ireland)
Had Syd Millar not missed out on the 1966 tour (he was out of favour with Ireland at the time), the prop might be higher up this list. Even so, his association with the Lions continued beyond playing in the 1959, 1962 and 1968 squads, as he went on to coach the unbeaten 1974 side and manage the 1980 vintage. He also had a stint as chairman of the IRB (now World Rugby) from 2003-2007.
Mako Vunipola (England)
England prop Mako Vunipola stuck around long enough to make a clean sweep of Lions destinations, participating in a tour win (Australia, 2013), a draw (New Zealand, 2017) and a loss (South Africa, 2021). He started five of his nine consecutive Tests, coming on as a replacement in the other four.
Are any of the 2025 squad likely to join the most capped British & Irish Lions players top 10?
Tadhg Furlong, Elliot Daly and captain Maro Itoje are all travelling to Australia as members of their third British & Irish Lions squad. Daly’s five Lions Tests mean there’s no way he can join Millar and Vunipola on nine caps during this tour, even if he starts all three Tests against the Wallabies. Furlong and Itoje (currently on six caps apiece) both could, however.
And if any of the trio are selected to tour New Zealand in 2029 – Itoje will be 34, Furlong and Daly both 36 – they could be in with a shot of climbing higher up the list.
Read more: The British & Irish Lions team to face Argentina
One to watch, however, may be Henry Pollock who, at just 20 years old, is the youngest player in this British & Irish Lions squad. He’d be just 32 heading into a potential fourth tour in 2037 which – assuming he can maintain form and fitness, and gets picked – would put him in a good position to break some recent Lions records.
But Willie John McBride is probably unassailable at the top of the tree. In fact, in the current three-Test format, a modern player would need six tours (and 20 years!) to break the legendary second row’s record.
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