British and Irish Lions thump Western Force 54-7 to open Australia tour

A rampant British and Irish Lions got their tour of Australia off to a winning start on Saturday with a 54-7 thumping of Western Force in Perth.

Three tries in eight second-half minutes did the damage after the visitors took a 21-7 lead into the break, with Tomos Williams and Elliot Daly bagging braces.

Meanwhile, former Australia under-20 international full-back Mason Gordon said on Wednesday he has retired aged just 22 because of ongoing concussion symptoms.

Gordon, who is the younger brother of ex-Wallabies fly-half Carter, has missed the whole of the current Super Rugby Pacific campaign for the Queensland Reds after suffering a head injury.

Olympic medal count: Australia leads, France ends Fiji’s rugby reign

“After sustaining a concussion during pre-season training from which I continue to have symptoms, and with the support of medical advice, I have made the difficult decision to retire from rugby on medical grounds,” Gordon wrote in an open letter.

“This is not how, or when, I anticipated my career concluding after I signed a contract at the Queensland Reds in October 2024, the same year I made my Super Rugby debut for the Melbourne Rebels.”