'I'd buy a ticket' - Alex Payne floats a compelling alternative 'Home Lions Tour' itinerary
With major doubt now cast over the viability of the British and Irish Lions to South Africa this summer, the suggestion that the Lions could host the Springboks in a home series is gaining legs online.
With Covid-19 rampant in South Africa and with a vaccine still months away from being rolled out in the country, the likelihood of a Lions tour being attended by fans seems increasingly doubtful, even with seven months to go before the first ball of the series is kicked on July 3rd in Cape Town.
A Daily Mail report over the weekend suggests that organisers are likely to make a call on the tour in the next 30 days, a report that has now been somewhat validated in an official Lions statement on the matter.
“As you would expect, we are progressing with our plans based on the latest information available to us,” Lions CEO Ben Calveley said yesterday in an official statement. “However, given the uncertainty that continues to be caused by the coronavirus pandemic both in South Africa, as well as the UK and Ireland, we are very aware of the need to make a timely decision on the best way forward.
”Not least this is so that we can provide clarity to supporters booked to travel to South Africa next summer, or those thinking of making the trip.”
Delaying the series until 2022 could create as many scheduling problems as it solves and that has lead many to question whether or not a series could take place on home nations soil.
Former Sky Sports anchor Alex Payne has put forward a mouthwatering alternative itinerary, one that could go some way to satiating fans hungry for the quadrennial rugby tour.
“Instead of moving the Lions dates, why not move the geography… I’d buy a ticket”
Instead of moving the Lions dates, why not move the geography…
I'd buy a ticket. @lionsofficial @GoodBadRugby pic.twitter.com/oTml6fFQor
— Alex Payne (@AlexPayneTV) January 3, 2021
Payne’s tour would kick off in earnest with a Lions’ ‘possibles versus a probables’ match on the 3rd of July, followed the same day by South Africa versus Japan in Brighton.
The following weekend (July 10) would see the Lions take on Japan at Murrayfield, with the Boks taking on Leinster in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
The three Lions tests versus South Africa would then take place the subsequent weekends of July 17, 24 and 31 in Twickenham, the Millenium Stadium and Croke Park in Dublin respectively, with a dirt trackers match in Glasgow’s Celtic Park on Tuesday 20th, versus Japan.
Payne’s schedule would allow for no clashes with the Premiership Final, no money loss for sponsors and commercial partners, and the opportunity for the Lions and South Africa to share the spoils.
While it’s far from ideal, Payne’s schedule is surely a better option than no Lions series at all?
Comments on RugbyPass
What a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
2 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
2 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
228 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
228 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
228 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to comments