On October 25, London’s Wembley Stadium will host the first of three highly anticipated test matches between the national Rugby League teams of Australia and England as part of the ABK Ashes Series 2025. This is more than a sporting event - it marks the return of a historic rivalry and the revival of a tradition that dates back over a century. After twenty-two years of absence, the historic appointment is back on British soil, and fans across the world are ready to celebrate. Known as the Kangaroo Tour, Australia’s Rugby League tour of Great Britain is one of the sport’s oldest and most storied traditions. The first tour took place in 1908, and over the decades the Ashes Series became one of the most iconic fixtures in international Rugby League - on par with the Bledisloe Cup in Rugby Union or the Ashes in cricket. Throughout the twentieth century, these matches brought together legendary players like Reg Gasnier, Mal Meninga, Ellery Hanley, and Shaun Edwards. For Australia, the tour represented the pinnacle of their season; for England (and previously Great Britain), it was the ultimate test. The last men’s Ashes Series was played in 2003, and ever since, fans have been longing for its return. Now, in 2025, this fierce sporting contest is back - not just as a rivalry, but as a restoration of the spirit and identity of rugby league itself. Wembley, with all its grandeur and symbolic weight, offers the perfect stage for this long-awaited revival. English fans, passionate and deeply engaged, will welcome the Australians with respect - but also with the determination to challenge a long history of Kangaroo dominance. What makes this series so compelling isn’t just the high level of play or the physical intensity of the clashes. It’s the epic, almost ritualistic dimension of the event: three matches, three cities, three battles for a trophy that represents the very best of Rugby League. For English fans, it’s a rare chance to take on the world’s most decorated team. For Australians, it’s a generational rite of passage. The opening whistle at Wembley will mark more than just the start of a match. It will open a new chapter in the history of a sport that continues to define itself through legendary encounters - and few are as legendary as this.
An exhibition celebrates Edwin Austin Abbey, a 19th-century American artist, showcasing his study for the monumental work The Hours created for the Pennsylvania State Capitol.
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