Lions trips to be cut back from six weeks

THE British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand this summer will be the last in its existing sixweek format, Premiership Rugby has confirmed.

Mark McCafferty, chief executive of the umbrella organisation for the 12 English clubs, has echoed the stance of Rugby Football Union counterpart Ian Ritchie that the tours must be shortened as part of the new global season that comes into effect in 2020.

Former Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll is among a chorus of voices who have demanded that tours are retained in their current six-week, 10-match guise, but McCafferty disagrees.

“We have been fairly outspoken. At the start of the season we said we were unhappy about the intensity of the schedule that had been signed up several years ago and it needs to change,” McCafferty said.

“To go through this kind of programme in the future is not feasible. To be playing 10 matches in a five-week period is too much and our views on that have not changed.

“Hopefully come 2021 some of those changes will come into place and they have largely been agreed. The duration of the tour is scheduled to come down by a week so that will mean a decrease in games.

“Ultimately it is up to the Lions how many games they put into the time frame, but we have a big interest in how players are managed through that.”

It is understood that Premiership Rugby are also considering a Ryder Cup-style global club competition between northern and southern hemispheres, while South African Currie Cup teams could be invited to join the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

There is a new venue, a new date and a new name for the WRU National 7s tournament.

The Heineken 7s replaces the Foster’s 7s and will now take place at Parc y Scarlets on May 27 rather than BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park over August Bank Holiday.

Llandovery will defend their double title, with all 16 Principality Premiership sides competing, while the four Regional Women’s sides will also compete for the national title, currently held by the Scarlets.

WRU Head of Rugby Performance Geraint John said, “We changed the date of the tournament following discussion with the Premiership clubs and in view of the international sevens schedule.

“This tournament could be the start of a very exciting process.”