Uninsured Unions to lose big money if tour folds

THE home unions will be uninsured for any financial losses if the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa does not go ahead, says Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Steve Phillips.

He also says it is “unrealistic” for the traditional sea of red fans to be allowed to support the tour.

“The general business concept is that there is no such thing as Covid-19 insurance,” said Phillips.

The Lions plan to go ahead with the tour in South Africa as originally planned before the pandemic struck with the governing bodies of Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales standing to lose several million pounds each in commercial income if the tour is cancelled.

A proposal to play the tour in Australia was rejected.

Phillips added: “We remain confident that we’re going, but in these challenging times something could happen in May or June and we’ll have to rethink the whole thing again. But the plan is we’re going to South Africa, the Lions as a touring organisation. Being realistic the idea of a ‘sea of red’ is a little bit optimistic.

“A usual Lions tour has circa 30,000 people going – I can’t see that happening. In terms of the tour schedule, you have to be agile and have to adapt. We’ve confirmed we’re going to South Africa and will need to bubble. They’re not going to get the usual freedoms.

“We may have to focus on playing in fewer venues, as that protects the bio-bubble. There is work ongoing about whether the original schedule is the right one.”

Phillips, who has been confirmed as permanent WRU chief executive, is also wrestling with Wales’ hopes of going on tour to Argentina and possibly Uruguay in the summer.

He said: “We’re trying to work things out, but we’ll have to do something within a month otherwise we’ll be out of time. If we’re not permitted to travel to Argentina for whatever reason, we’ve all learnt to be very agile and to adapt to anything.”