Lions tour to go ahead as planned

[MarleyWasp]

Lions will tour South Africa this summer - and why this is better than hosting in the UK
Lions due to open South Africa tour against Stormers in Cape Town on July 3. Plus the reason this is the best outcome for famed touring side

By Gavin Mairs, CHIEF RUGBY UNION CORRESPONDENT
23 March 2021 • 1:14pm

The British and Irish Lions tour is set to take place in South Africa this summer as originally scheduled.

It is understood the widely-publicised contingency plan of relocating the eight-match tour to the UK and Ireland has been dismissed by the Lions board, owing to time, logistics and expense.

There is still uncertainty about whether crowds will be permitted to attend matches in July and August.

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Talks are taking place with the South Africa Rugby to finalise details and address the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. An official announcement is expected within the next 48 hours.

Even if the matches have to be played behind closed doors, the decision to proceed would offer the least risky financial option as all the contracts are in place and broadcasters Sky Sports told the Lions board in January that was their preferred option.

The RFU has also declared its support for proceeding with the tour.

“If it is possible, the RFU is supportive of the Lions tour going ahead in South Africa as planned,” said an RFU spokesperson. “Ultimately the decision will be made by the Lions Board together with SARU, and the welfare of players will be central to any decision made.”

Proceeding with the tour will not be without its challenges, but the popularity of the Six Nations has proven it still possible to create sporting drama without crowds in stadiums.   

Time was always against the Lions being able to stage a home series from scratch, given the major logistical challenge of putting on a major global event within a matter of months.

The home series option had involved draft schedules with the Lions playing against Japan, the USA, the French Barbarians and South Africa ‘A’ and included football venues such as Wembley, St James’ Park and the London Stadium for what would have been billed as a summer festival of rugby.

It is understood the Lions approached CSM, the sport and entertainment agency, who already look after some of their commercial contracts, about providing the resources to event manage the project but it is thought that the costs were significant.

There had been reports that the UK government was prepared to underwrite the costs but it is understood that no financial guarantee has been offered. In order to make the relocation viable it would require minimum crowds of 25 per cent capacity and given the uncertainty still attached to the road map out of the lockdown, without government support it is unlikely to be possible.

Rugby Australia had made a bold offer to host the eight-match series Down Under, including the promise of capacity crowds for three Test matches to be played at major stadiums in Perth, Sydney and Brisbane, given the almost zero community transmission of the virus in the country.

However, the board also dismissed this option last month after Rugby Australia’s offer of a minimum guarantee to cover the costs of relocating the tour and cover the loss of revenue in the event of a short-notice lockdown was not enough to make it a viable option. There was also concern about the guarantee of capacity crowds.

The fact that the option of proceeding with the tour as scheduled was not taken off the table at that meeting despite the Covid challenges was seen as significant by several sources, following the positive news from South Africa about their infection rates and relaxing of lockdown restrictions.

Confirmation of a definite plan will come as a relief to Lions head coach Warren Gatland, who has spent the Six Nations assessing players without knowing if the series would be held in the UK and Ireland or South Africa.

Many former Lions, including John Spencer, who was tour manager in New Zealand four years ago, believe the tour should go ahead in order to proceed the ethos of the tourists.

The Lions are due to open their tour against the Stormers in Cape Town on July 3.

In case nobody saw the draft UK based tour that was circulating a few weeks ago, it's attached.

[andermt]

Seems a very strange decision.

[baldpaul101]

Official statement:

The British & Irish Lions and SA Rugby have confirmed they are aligned on delivering the Castle Lager Lions Series in South Africa in the scheduled playing window.

The Lions Board confirmed its preference to SA Rugby on Monday evening, prior to follow-up meetings earlier today (Tuesday).

“After reviewing information relating to the various contingency scenarios being considered, I can confirm that the Board’s intended position is for the Tour to go ahead as scheduled in South Africa in 2021,” said Jason Leonard, chairman of The British & Irish Lions.

“We acknowledge that there is a significant amount of work still to be undertaken to deliver a robust COVID-19 countermeasure plan to ensure a successful, safe and uninterrupted Tour. SA Rugby will have our full support to help implement this plan.”

Mark Alexander, president of the SA Rugby, said he would inform the Executive Council of the South African Rugby Union of the alignment.

“We appreciate the Lions’ faith and share their desire to see a safe and successful tour,” said Alexander.

“We have been in regular contact with our government to make that a reality against the backdrop of the pandemic and its predicted progression over the coming months.

“There are serious financial implications for SA Rugby, should the event take place without any supporters in attendance, and we cannot ignore that in our considerations. But we are determined that the eventual outcome will deliver the best occasion and experience for players, supporters and our commercial partners.”

Alexander said the original tour schedule was subject to review because of those considerations. Should any changes be required they will be communicated as soon as possible.

Leonard added: “Every British and Irish player dreams of wearing the famous red jersey, and players from the southern hemisphere aspire to be part of a Lions series. We owe it to the current players vying for a place in both squads to ensure they can become part of Lions history.

“We are very much looking forward to taking on South Africa for what promises to be a highly-competitive Series against the reigning World Champions.”

Alexander thanked the Castle Lager Lions Series’ commercial partners as well as the British & Irish Lions and ticket holders for their patience during the extended period of uncertainty.

“As hosts and ‘owners’ of the Castle Lager Lions Series no one has been more affected or more challenged by the current circumstances than SA Rugby,” said Alexander. “However, with the support of our government and good planning we can navigate the pandemic to nonetheless create a most memorable event for players, fans and partners.”

It is not yet known whether international or cross-border travel for supporters will be possible into the country in July. Supporters who have purchased ticket-inclusive packages through Lions Rugby Travel will be notified directly via email with information on the options available.

The Lions remind supporters that all packages purchased through Lions Rugby Travel are protected by the Covid-19 guarantee*. Supporters who have booked packages with official sub agents should contact them directly. For the latest guidance on travelling to South Africa please visit the UK Foreign Office website: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa or the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs website: https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/a-z-list-of-countries/south-africa/

At this time, it also remains unclear whether spectators will be permitted into stadia in July and August. SA Rugby and the Lions continue to work with relevant South African Government departments to ascertain the latest guidance on COVID-19 countermeasure planning for major sporting events and will communicate any updates as soon as it is possible to do so.

In the event that spectators are not permitted to gain access to the Test matches, Lions supporters who had successfully purchased Test match tickets via the Lions ticket ballot will be refunded.

The British & Irish Lions Test match against Japan at BT Murrayfield Stadium on Saturday 26 June 2021 for the Vodafone Lions 1888 Cup will continue as scheduled. However, a decision on crowd size will be made nearer the time of the event and in line with the latest Government guidance. For more information, including ticketing enquiries, please visit:
https://www.lionsrugby.com/1888-cup-faqs/

The British & Irish Lions have toured South Africa on 13 previous occasions, with the first Tour taking place in 1891. In that time, the Lions have won four Test series, lost eight with one drawn. Their overall record against the Springboks is played 46, won 17, lost 23 and drawn six.

[Shugs]

This is just bonkers.

[Neils]

This is just bonkers.

Completely