Fifteen Irish players have been called up for the Lions tour in Australia in the summer, the most in the history of the touring side.
Nine Ireland forwards and six backs were called up, 12 from Leinster, two from Connacht and one from Munster.
The previous record was 14 Irish players called up for the tour of South Africa in 2009.
Who is in the most Irish Lions squad of all time and why?
Connacht winger Mack Hansen was a somewhat surprise inclusion in the 38-man squad, as Leinster and Ireland captain Caelan Doris missed out of the squad as he is not expected to recover from a shoulder injury in time.
In the frontrow, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Ronan Kelleher and Tadhg Furlong were called up, Tadhg Beirne, James McCarthy and James Ryan in the secondrow, with Jack Conan and Josh van der Flier in the backrow.
Jamison Gibson-Park was picked as one of the scrumhalves, with Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley missing out among the outhalves with Finn Russell, Marcus Smith and Fin Smith getting the nod. Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose were called up as centres, with James Lowe and Hansen on the wing. Hugo Keenan was selected at fullback.
Andy Farrell’s son Owen Farrell missed out on a day when lock Maro Itoje was selected as captain.
“I am very excited about working with this group and believe they have the capacity to achieve something special and add to the Lions legacy,” head coach Andy Farrell said.
“It feels amazing to be named Lions captain. I’m deeply honoured, humbled and I will do my best to do the role justice,“ Itoje said.
“I am very much looking forward to the challenge ahead, it’s going to be a great Tour. I know the appetite amongst the players is extremely high, everyone is hungry to be a Lion and I can’t wait to play my role.”
Forwards: (21)
- Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland)
- Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England)
- Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
- Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England)
- Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland)
- Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England)
- Ben Earl (Saracens/England)
- Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
- Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
- Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England)
- Maro Itoje (Saracens/England)(capt)
- Ronan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
- Joe McCarthy (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
- Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales)
- Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England)
- Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
- James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
- Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
- Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland)
- Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England)
- Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
Backs: (17)
- Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland)
- Elliot Daly (Saracens/England)
- Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England)
- Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
- Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/Ireland)
- Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
- Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
- Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland)
- James Lowe (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
- Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England)
- Garry Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
- Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland)
- Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England)
- Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England)
- Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
- Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland)
- Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby/Wales)
