Joe Schmidt rejected claims that Australia must release their biggest stars for the British and Irish Lions warm-up games.

Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said Australia must release their Test players for the fixtures leading up to the series, calling it a contractual obligation for the hosts.

The Lions face Western Force, Queensland Reds, ACT Brumbies and NSW Waratahs prior to the Tests against Australia.

Wallabies head coach Schmidt has allowed Force players Nick Champion De Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White to play in the opening warm-up game.

First training session in Perth 

T minus 5 days to @westernforce #Lions2025 pic.twitter.com/XCfsck91RY

— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 23, 2025

Schmidt, however, has not yet allowed players from the other three teams, such as Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Rob Valetini, to play against the Lions until the Test series.

"There's some serious plate-spinning at the moment, trying to get ready," Schmidt told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"The ambition is there will be some going back to the Reds and some going back to the Waratahs.

"But in reality, the Lions have got their squad. Are they going to play their best team every week? That's unlikely. So are we going to play all the same players every week?

"We play Fiji on a Sunday, and the Waratahs play on a Saturday night. So it's not like you can play Saturday and Sunday night against a team like the Lions. It would be counter-productive.

"I'm not sure whether Andy [Farrell] was part of that discussion or whether it was just coming from the CEO, but I've read the tour's agreement, and it's having the best intention to have the highest-quality players available and playing.

"It's not as specific as saying every Wallaby from a state or a club has to be available to play every game that the Lions come through on."

The first Test between Australia and the Lions takes place on July 19 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.