1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}

{{Lionstour

|tour= 1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia

|image =

|imagesize =

|caption =

|date = 10 May  – 18 September

|coach = Leslie B. Osborne

|captain = {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Karl Mullen

|test series winners = (v New Zealand) {{ru|New Zealand|noflag=true}} (3–0)
(v Australia) British and Irish Lions (2–0)

|result =

|top test point scorer = {{flagicon|WAL|1807}} Lewis Jones (26)

|top point scorer =

|top test try scorer =

|top try scorer =

|preceded by= South Africa 1938

|succeeded by= South Africa 1955

}}

{{Infobox Tour Rugby

|team=British Lions

|yearstart=1950

|yearfinish=

|destination=New Zealand and Australia

|coach=

|captain=

|matchplayed=30

|matchwon=23

|matchdraw=1

|matchlost=6

|testplayed=6

|testwon=2

|testdraw=1

|testlost=3

|opponent1={{ru|NZL}}

|played1=4

|won1=0

|draw1=1

|lost1=3

|opponent2={{ru|AUS}}

|played2=2

|won2=2

|draw2=0

|lost=2|0

}}

The British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia in 1950 was the first post-war tour made by the Lions; there had not been one since 1938.

The 1950 team was the first to be nicknamed "the British Lions", rather than just "British Isles" and sported newly redesigned jerseys and a fresh style of play, managing to win 22 and draw one of 29 matches over the two nations. The Lions won the opening four fixtures before losing to Otago and Southland, but succeeded in holding the All Blacks to a nine-all draw. The Lions performed well in the remaining All Black tests though they lost all three, the team did not lose another non-test in the New Zealand leg of the tour. The Lions won all their games in Australia except for their final fixture against a New South Wales XV in Newcastle. They won both of the two tests against Australia, in Brisbane and in Sydney.

Because the team was travelling by ship, rather than by air as modern tours do, they also stopped off in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to play an unofficial game against the national team.