Skippers want Lions tour of South Africa

LONDON: Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones says the captains of the four home unions want the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa to go ahead this year rather than 2022, but the likely absence of fans in that case would be a ‘‘travesty’’.

The tour, scheduled for July 3August 7, is in doubt due to the Covid19 pandemic that remains a crisis in South Africa and Britain, and various alternative scenarios are being discussed.

These include playing three tests against the world champion Springboks in the United Kingdom and Ireland, or pushing matches back 12 months, which brings its own complications with a full international calendar in the year before the next

World Cup.

Jones, a veteran of three Lions tours, including their last trip to South Africa in 2009, suggests it would be tough to find a date for the fixtures if they are not played as scheduled.

‘‘I think it needs to go ahead this year, but the jury is out on where it will happen,’’ he told reporters yesterday.

‘‘It would be a travesty if the fans were not able to go and see it. But from a captain’s perspective, I think we all agree that, if it can, it should go ahead this year.’’

His view was echoed by Scotland’s Stuart Hogg.

‘‘Health and safety must be the primary focus in the decision.

‘‘The Lions is an incredible time for everybody involved, players and supporters, so hopefully there is some way the tour can go ahead in 2021 and we would look forward to that.’’

England coach Eddie Jones says shifting dates to July 2022 would disrupt his preparations for the World Cup in France, but did not dismiss it as an option.

‘‘We would just handle it if it