English rugby bosses confirm fiveweek tours in future

LONDON: The British and Irish Lions’ tour to New Zealand this summer will be the last in the 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 sixweek, 10match 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 fiveweek 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 timeframe, but we have a big interest in how players are managed through that.’’

It is understood Premiership Rugby is considering a Ryder Cupstyle contest between northern and southern hemispheres, while South African Currie Cup teams could be invited to join the AngloWelsh Cup.