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Rugby Australia planning to include Fiji, Tonga in 2025 Lions tour
Rugby Australia [RA] are reportedly eager to include Fiji and Tonga in the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia.
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Fresh in the wake of the recently-completed Lions tour of South Africa, which culminated in a 2-1 test series win to the Springboks, RA chairman Hamish McLennan has revealed he wants add a revolutionary twist to the next tour in four years’ time.
“People are already excited about it. The Lions is the high point in the calendar but it’s the fans that complete it. We want it to be full blown, with as many of them over here as possible,” McLennan told the Daily Mail.
“We want to anchor it back into what a traditional Lions tour looks like for the fans and the players. We want to deliver competitive games against our teams and we’d also like to bring in countries like Fiji and Tonga.
“We want to boost the marketability of the tour and that’s what a lot of people would love to see.’
Such a move would be a significant for the British and Irish Lions, who have only played one test match against a Pacific Island nation in the team’s 133-year history.
That test came in 1977, when the Lions beat Fiji 25-21 in Suva upon their return home from New Zealand after being defeated by the All Blacks across a four-match test series.
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The Lions made history ahead of their tour to South Africa in June when they hosted Japan at Murrayfield in Edinburgh in what was the first-ever clash between the two sides.
Warren Gatland’s side ran out 28-10 victors in that match, but it seems more history could be made when the Lions travel Down Under for their 2025 tour.
McLennan told the Daily Mail that, as rugby union in Australia struggles to compete with rival football codes in the AFL and NRL, the inclusion of Pacific Island nations and the implementation of free-flowing, attacking rugby will help attract fans.
“Our guys will play a very different style of rugby,” McLennan said in reference to the much-derided style of play on show in the Lions’ test series against the Springboks.
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“We’re trying to rediscover the style of play that made us famous. That free-flowing attack. Go back to the Ella Brother, Jason Little, Tim Horan. Those guys were fabulous.
“The ratings were off the charts for our games against France last month. The games were great, close and entertaining.
A wild performance from the Springboks new Number 8 almost cost his side. #RSAvBIL #Springboks https://t.co/Q68mEw8qHe
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 9, 2021
“We’ve got some great young guys coming through. Noah Lolesio is already proving he can handle pressure moments and our Under 20s are going pretty well.
“We know we need to entertain. We’re competing against other winter sports in AFL and NRL and we’re aware we need to sell ourselves.”
McLennan added he anticipates the advent of COVID-19 will have passed by the time the next Lions tour rolls around, which could lead to six-figure crowds.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground, which holds up to 100,000 people, has reportedly already expressed interest in hosting a test, and McLennan is eager to stage more matches than were on show in South Africa.
This year’s tour was condensed to eight matches rather than its usual 10, but McLennan wants a full complement of fixtures spread across Australia.
“It’s one-dimensional rugby. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”
– @bensmithrugby on a ‘very good’ Springboks team and the test ahead to do better than their average win percentage. https://t.co/o3pRUDjljW— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 9, 2021
“The more games the better because it gets it out to the public,” he told the Daily Mail.
“Traditionally they’ve done 12 or 13 games and we want a traditional tour. Our mid-week games against France, on winter’s nights when there was no other sport on, were an absolute smash.
“We’re already seeing a lot of competition for stadia from state governments. They’re acutely aware of what a Lions tour can deliver and what a great event it is. We’ve got high- quality stadiums everywhere. We’ll spread it around and it’ll be fantastic.
‘We’ve got a brand-new stadium up in Townsville, way north near the Great Barrier Reef. Our infrastructure is first-class.
“We could do about 100,000 at the MCG and I’ve got no doubt we could fill that for a Lions match. Sydney, Perth, you name it. It’s going to be a superb event.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Exciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
11 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
3 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
3 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
3 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
11 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to comments