WALES will start their three-Test tour of New Zealand at the famous Eden Park next summer, writes Chris Kirwan.

Warren Gatland’s men will take on the All Blacks in Auckland on June 11 before travelling to Wellington’s Westpac Stadium the following week and then ending the Steinlager Series with a clash at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.

Wales have lost all 11 Tests played in New Zealand and last toured there in 2010 when beaten 42-9 at Carisbrook in Dunedin and 29-10 in Waikato, when then Newport Gwent Dragons wing Will Harries made his international debut off the bench.

Wales in New Zealand: June 11 – First Test at Eden Park, Auckland; June 18 – Second Test at Westpac Stadium, Wellington; June 25 – Third Test at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin

THE British and Irish Lions will play New Zealand twice at Eden Park during a 10-match 2017 tour.

Apart from a three-Test series, the Lions will also face all five New Zealand Super Rugby teams, plus the New Zealand Maori.

The five-week trip will open against a provincial union side in Whangarei on June 3, 2017.

The Test series starts in Auckland on June 24, before the Lions and All Blacks meet in Wellington seven days later and then return to Eden Park for a July 8 finale.

Six games are scheduled before the first Test, including against Super Rugby opponents the Blues, Crusaders, Highlanders and Chiefs, with all midweek fixtures taking place on a Tuesday, apart from a Wednesday appointment with the Blues.

The Lions have lost four successive Test series against New Zealand, including a 3-0 whitewash under the direction of World Cup-winning England coach Sir Clive Woodward on their last visit 10 years ago.

They have not beaten the All Blacks in a Test series since 1971, when a John Dawes-captained Lions squad won 2-1, with one draw.

The Lions will head straight to New Zealand without playing a warm-up match – two years ago they took on the Barbarians in Hong Kong before travelling to Australia and in 2005 they hosted Argentina in Cardiff.

The 2017 Lions had been linked to a fixture in America before starting business in New Zealand, but there will be no preparation match this time around.

2017 British and Irish Lions tour fixtures: June 3 - Provincial Union team (Toll Stadium, Whangarei); June 7 - Blues (Eden Park, Auckland); June 10 - Crusaders (AMI Stadium, Christchurch); June 13 - Highlanders (Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin); June 17 - Maori (International Stadium, Rotorua); June 20 - Chiefs (Waikato Stadium, Hamilton); June 24 - New Zealand (first Test, Eden Park, Auckland); June 27 - Hurricanes (Westpac Stadium, Wellington); July 1 - New Zealand (second Test, Westpac Stadium, Wellington); July 8 - New Zealand (third Test, Eden Park, Auckland).