Desperate bid to salvage Lions tour hit by infighting
EMERGENCY negotiations to salvage the Lions tour are in danger of being undermined by self-interest, as opposition to various options emerged yesterday.
The 2021 British and Irish campaign in South Africa is facing the threat of Covid disruption, as first reported by Sportsmail.
Organisers have not given up all hope of staging the eight-match event in its scheduled slot this July and August — following a warm-up against Japan at Murrayfield in late June. But there is a growing realisation that it is unlikely to proceed as planned due to the global pandemic.
A decision is set to be made by early next month on whether to press ahead or make alternative arrangements.
Postponing the tour by 12 months is understood to be the preferred option for the South African authorities, who regard playing fixtures in empty stadiums this summer as unviable.
But one home unions source cast doubt on that contingency, telling Sportsmail: ‘The Lions will go ahead or be cancelled.’
When pressed about shifting to 2022, the source added: ‘It can’t happen. Countries will not release players. Tours are in place.’
England are due to play three Tests in Australia next year, while Ireland have an end- of- season series in New Zealand.
Another well- placed source described that factor as a problem and revealed the option of moving matches from South Africa to the UK and Ireland this summer is ‘possible’, adding ‘ cash is king’. If the Lions were to play a Test series at home, it would be a last resort which would not involve the same level of preparation as is currently lined up — five pre-series tour games.
As rights-holding broadcasters, Sky Sports will have a significant say in the negotiations. Sportsmail understands that, in principle, they would not oppose any attempt to postpone the tour until 2022, but switching to home fixtures is regarded as a ‘non-starter’.
There has been speculation that postponing the Lions tour could create a window this summer for the Six Nations, to increase the prospect of having crowds after several more months of vaccination programmes. But there is no appetite among the home unions to explore this idea.
The RFU released a statement saying: ‘We are committed to the (existing) fixtures, monitoring the situation with all parties.’
The BBC and ITV have no desire to delay the Six Nations and create a calendar clash with the Olympics, football’s European Championship and Wimbledon.
European club organisers EPCR confirmed last night that no clubs have indicated ‘any intention not to fulfil fixtures in the 2020-21 season’, in response to Bayonne and other French sides threatening a boycott over Covid concerns.
● GLOUCESTER centre Billy Twelvetrees has escaped further action for shoving a Sale watercarrier to spark a mass brawl at Kingsholm on Saturday.