The "British Lions" dollar was issued to coincide with the 2005 British and Irish Lions rugby tour of New Zealand — a series the All Blacks won 3–0, the Lions' heaviest defeat in a Test series against New Zealand. The Reserve Bank produced commemorative circulation-quality dollars for several major sporting events during this period, a practice that kept these pieces technically spendable while targeting collector demand.
The "British Lions" dollar was issued to coincide with the 2005 British and Irish Lions rugby tour of New Zealand — a series the All Blacks won 3–0, the Lions' heaviest defeat in a Test series against New Zealand. The Reserve Bank produced commemorative circulation-quality dollars for several major sporting events during this period, a practice that kept these pieces technically spendable while targeting collector demand.