British and Irish Lions: Gregor Brown joins Lions squad in Melbourne

Scotland back row Gregor Brown will join the British and Irish Lions squad before their final midweek match against the First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old Glasgow Warrior can also play lock, where he started on Friday in Gregor Townsend’s side’s win over Samoa in Auckland.

Brown is the 45th player called up by the 2025 Lions, whose initial squad was 38-strong.

Brown, who made his Scotland debut in 2024 against Canada, will join Rory Sutherland and Ewan Ashman in linking up with the squad in Melbourne on Sunday.

On Monday, Scotland trio Sutherland, Ashman and Darcy Graham were called up as cover, but only Graham joined the squad before the first-Test victory over Australia in Brisbane on Saturday.

Ireland tight-head prop Tom Clarkson, utility back Jamie Osborne and England hooker Jamie George have all recently joined the squad as cover.

Ireland lock Joe McCarthy went off early in Brisbane, with Lions head coach Andy Farrell confirming McCarthy’s withdrawal was because of plantar fasciitis – a condition that causes pain in the heel and arch of the foot.

“It was niggling at him and hopefully we got him off just in time,” he added.

Farrell’s move to draft in extra players mirrors Warren Gatland’s ‘Geography Six’ move in New Zealand in 2017 when half a dozen players, including Finn Russell, were parachuted in to play provincial opposition and help protect the Test squad.