Hey sports fans! Mr. Ronald is in the building—and if you’ve been roaring with the Lions down under, then buckle up, because this one’s a thunderous ride through a tour that delivered power, pride, and pure passion. From sideline sizzlers to thumping tackles, the 2025 Lions tour in Australia was a raging inferno of top-tier rugby—and oh yes, it dished out some wild hardware before the whistle blew for one last time. Let’s dig into the awards that had every rugby junkie on their feet and talking in pub corners across the hemisphere.
🏆 BEST PLAYER: Duhan Van der Whoaaa!
Ladies and gentlemen, bow down to the human steamroller from Scotland – Duhan van der Merwe. The big man wasn’t just running through defenders, he was rewriting the geometry of Australian backlines. With the stride of a panther and the sheer force of a freight train, Duhan turned every carry into a frontline brawl – and he rarely lost. His meters gained? Ludicrous. His try count? Electric. His hustle? Absolutely unmatched.
He didn’t just top the charts – he stomped a hole through them. In a squad loaded with titans, Duhan shone brighter than the Sydney sun, bagging tries, breaking ankles, and owning that left wing like it was prime downtown real estate. When bodies were tired and minds were weary late in the tour, Duhan still charged on. That’s not just fitness, folks—that’s borderline superhuman.
🔥 MOMENT OF THE TOUR: The Boom Heard ‘Round Brisbane
Let me set the scene: third Test, stadium pulsing, series tied 1-1. The Aussies had the bounce, the roar, and the gold jerseys on fire. Then came Bundee Aki, aka “The Tongan Tornado,” with a hit so seismic it could knock the paint off a rugby post. Charging from deep, he unleashed a tackle that thundered across the outback, flipping momentum and sending a clear message: the Lions were not here for cuddles.
That moment flipped the switch. The Lions surged, the crowd gasped, and the spirits of legends past nodded in proud approval. No intricate footwork, no flashy offloads—just raw heart and spine-rattling timing. It was old school, it was beautiful, and it was the moment this tour became folklore.
🏉 BEST TRY: The Welsh Wizard Weaves His Spell
Oh baby, give me goosebumps and cue the Welsh choir! In the second Test, with the game tighter than a scrum on a rainy night, up stepped young gun Sam Costelow. Now, you don’t get many headlines as a relatively fresh face in a Lions pack of legends, but what he did? That was storytelling with studs.
He took the ball deep in enemy territory, slipped between defenders like a ghost on rollerblades, sold a dummy straight from the magician’s handbook, and then dotted down with ice in the veins. That was poetry in motion—a try Leonardo da Vinci himself would’ve painted. From vision to execution, it was pure sauce, and a reminder that sometimes, all it takes is one moment of liquid genius to blow open a Test match.
🇼🇸 A WORD ON THE WELSHMAN: The Prince of Penarth – Tommy Rees-Zammit
Let me take a knee and preach for this next bit—Tommy Rees-Zammit ain’t just a name anymore. He’s a missile in cleats, a winger with rocket fuel in his veins. Every time he touched the ball, it felt like the stadium held its breath, waiting for the spark. And more often than not, the spark lit the fuse.
While he may not have been the headline MVP, his influence was felt through wide surges, try assists, and defensive backchats that sparked fire in his teammates. The guy bleeds red (and I mean both Wales and Lions, baby), and at just 23, he’s laid down a serious marker for the next decade. Fans, stamp the name—Tommy’s coming, and he’s bringing fireworks.
🎤 FINAL WHISTLE THOUGHTS: A Tour for the Ages
From coast to coast, this Lions squad roared with a blend of youth, experience, and raw, unfiltered ambition. They came, they saw, they rumbled through the Wallabies with flair and ferocity. The squad chemistry was sizzling, the crowd energy was volcanic, and the game was—all around—the beautiful beast we love.
Each award this year wasn’t just a badge. It was a battle cry, a symbol of excellence etched into the history books. And trust Mr. Ronald on this: this tour didn’t just entertain—it inspired. It reminded us why we stay glued to our screens, why we scream at every tackle, and why, deep down, we all dream of donning that red jersey.
Until next tour, folks—keep your chin up, your boots laced, and your heart beating to the rhythm of the game. Goal time is forever.
– Mr. Ronald
