2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA
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@sparky said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:
British and Irish Lions tour of 2021 could be to Britain and Ireland
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/55538729
British and Irish Lions: Playing South Africa tests in UK is contingency plan
The British and Irish Lions series with South Africa could be held in the UK if Covid-19 prevents fans from travelling.
Reversing the venue is among the contingency plans discussed by the Lions board in the event that the trip has to be abandoned.
Instead, tour games would be played in Edinburgh, London, Cardiff and Dublin.
The South African rugby union has previously made it clear that a tour without visiting fans would not be commercially viable for them.
The Lions board is also thought to be unenthusiastic about the Idea.However, it is hoped that a vaccine would allow for fans to attend games in the UK by summer.
In a statement on Saturday the Lions board announced that they'd been having "repeated meetings to discuss all scenarios available and is in constant dialogue".
A warm-up contest with Japan is already scheduled for Murrayfield in Edinburgh on 26 June.
After that, the original plan is for the Lions to travel to South Africa to play five provincial games before the three-Test series against the world champions.
The revised plan would likely see the Test matches held at Cardiff's Principality Stadium and Wembley and Twickenham in London.
Government restrictions currently forbid fans from attending, but even if restrictions are lifted, the Lions board is worried that such a large movement of people could put any Covid-19 recovery in jeopardy.
It had been mooted that the tour might be delayed until 2022, but all four nations have Test matches scheduled for that summer window and are not keen on that switch.
Lions managing director Ben Calveley said: "It will meet throughout January and into February, if required, to review all relevant information and data.
"After further consultation with SA Rugby, we will update on the outcome of these meetings in due course."
Like most people, I'm totally against this, but it is worth pointing out that half of South Africa lives here ...
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@Machpants said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:
@Chester-Draws the Olympics maybe going ahead, but almost certainly without crowds. The lions tour needs crowds from UK and Ireland to be profitable, or they won't go. When the UK are looking at 3000 deaths per week, travel might not be top priory, or possible
If Covid is still around in 6 months at 3000/week, then it will still be around in six years.
So, if they cancel for this situation, when do they think that they will ever be able to tour again?
All tourists to SA have to have been vaccinated. Then what is the problem? They can't get it (well, technically they can, just not badly) and they can't spread it.
If the vaccinations don't work (a realistic probability) then we either get a grip and carry on with life, or everyone shuts their borders and play no international rugby for ten years. Protecting no-one of course, because it's not like it won't be in both the UK and SA. Shutting borders doesn't make any difference if both countries have it.
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@Bones said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:
@sparky said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:
Given how many Saffas live in South West London, the Twickenham Test will almost be a home Test for the Boks.
When I lived in Earlsfield it was better known as Earlsveldt...
SouthAfricaFields
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@Bones said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:
@MajorRage Wandsburg?
There are a few floating around here too. My son has two SA offsprings in his class.
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@sparky said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:
Looking increasingly likely that the Lions management are going to request the tests go ahead this year in the UK and Ireland.
Not just the tests, but the other tour matches as well by flying the SA provincial teams to the UK to recreate the original tour schedule.
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@Bovidae said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:
@sparky said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:
Looking increasingly likely that the Lions management are going to request the tests go ahead this year in the UK and Ireland.
Not just the tests, but the other tour matches as well by flying the SA provincial teams to the UK to recreate the original tour schedule.
Yeah, thats nuts. Not sure how much the journo's will go for it.
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@Stargazer said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:
@sparky The All Blacks are - COVID permitting - already playing Italy (2x) and Fiji in July, this year
And we can scarcely contain our excitement. Those games are going to be very, very one-sided. Italy and Fiji should play the Junior All Blacks.
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@MajorRage surprised they havent put thier hands up for the Olympics too!
No way is Aus gonna let 30,000 fans in.
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@taniwharugby said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:
@MajorRage surprised they havent put thier hands up for the Olympics too!
No way is Aus gonna let 30,000 fans in.
Aus pitch is around ex-pat fans attending rather than touring fans.
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@KiwiMurph i reckon they'd be better off pitching the Aus tour for 2021, postpone the SA one until 2024.
