CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - The British and Irish Lions will play 10 matches -- including three tests -- on their 2009 tour of South Africa, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) announced in Cape Town on Thursday.

The tests will be played on three successive Saturdays at the end of the tour -- June 20 in Durban, June 27 in Pretoria and July 4 in Johannesburg. The Lions will also play an "Emerging Springbok" team on June 23 in Cape Town.

"The Lions tour will be a massive sporting event, on par with the Rugby World Cup, and is expected to be a huge success," said Jonathan Stones, managing director of SA Rugby.

The Lions will play matches in seven cities over six weeks, including games against four of South Africa's five Super 14 provinces and two matches against provincial combinations.

"Fifty thousand supporters are expected to follow the Lions to South Africa," said Regan Hoskins, president of SARU.

Lions supporters will be guaranteed 11,000 tickets to test matches and 2,000 tickets for non-test matches, said Stones.

Lions Chairman Andy Irvine said in a statement they were looking forward to "playing the world champions on their own turf".

"Lions tours are unique events. We are expecting tens of thousands of Lions fans to travel to South Africa in 2009 and are confident that every one of them will come back with amazing memories."

The Lions start their tour in Rustenburg on May 30 with a match against a Highveld XV.

Full schedule:

May 30 v Highveld XV (Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace, Rustenburg), June 3 v Golden Lions (Ellis Park, Johannesburg), June 6 v Cheetahs (Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein), June 10 v Sharks (Absa Stadium, Durban), June 13 v Western Province (Newlands, Cape Town), June 16 or 17 v Coastal XV (stadium tbc, Port Elizabeth), June 20 v South Africa (1st Test, Absa Stadium, Durban), June 23 v Emerging Springboks (Newlands, Cape Town), June 27 v South Africa (2nd test, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria), July 4 v South Africa (3rd test, Ellis Park, Johannesburg).