British & Irish Lions: Update

Lions fans and squad talking about upcoming summer tour to New Zealand

British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton and head coach Warren Gatland will lead the last six-week tour during this summer after changes to the global rugby calendar. Reportedly the British & Irish Lions have put together the strongest squad of rugby's professional era. However that may change once the injuries start rolling in. Before the Lions head off for New Zealand, they may have to call on a replacement for Welsh captain Alun Wyn Jones. The lock was named to his third Lions squad,but is out of action with a shoulder injury. Wyn Jones damaged his shoulder in the Rugby Six Nations 2017 final against France on March 18. Two days later, the Welsh Rugby Union released a statement confirming that 'following scans and orthopedic consultation, he will undergo an initial six week period of rehabilitation'. Wyn Jones' shoulder injury was reassessed, and reportedly his chances of making the Lions Tour are lessened as Wyn Jones was given a 50/50 chance to make the six-week New Zealand Tour.

Wyn Jones is making a graduated return to training, and is not likely to feature again for Ospreys this season. The final Lions call-up won't come until mid-May. Jones will continue treatment at a hyperbaric chamber at the South Wales Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre to help with his rehab and muscle repair. Gatland spoke with Wyn Jones in late March, about the idea of Sam Warburton getting the Lions captaincy for the second tour running. Warburton will not play for Cardiff again this season but he is expected to recover in time from his knee injury to make the start of the tour, playing against the Auckland Blues. Gatland agrees that calling up reserves will be necessary  before, the tour to New Zealand. Joe Launchbury may be the next lock likely to be called up. Lock George Kruis due to his experience with England may now be destined for the starting XV. And if Wyn Jones does not prove his fitness in time, the Lions will need a second lineout leader.

The two rugby players in contention are Donnacha Ryan, Ireland and Luke Charteris, Wales. Ryan is coming to the end of his final season at Munster, and plans to sign with Racing 92 this summer after his best season to date. He started both Ireland games against New Zealand last November as lock in a dominant win over England. Charteris featured with Racing 92 also, but he is tried and trusted with both Gatland and Rob Howley's Wales. The 34-year-old has done well for Bath this season. Charteris no doubt will hope to spend time in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands with his Wales sidekicks. Warren Gatland has included 12 Welshmen in his British and Irish Lions tour squad that travel to New Zealand this summer. The Lions tour will be the last in its existing six-week format, Premiership Rugby has confirmed. Mark McCafferty, chief executive of the umbrella organization for the 12 English clubs, has echoed the stance of his 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 the growing number of dissenting voices who have demanded that tours are retained in their current six-week, 10-match form, but McCafferty says things need to change.

“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,” said McCafferty. “To go through this kind of program 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.” Reportedly, Premiership Rugby are 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.

The 2017 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand will take place during June and July 2017. The tour will see the British and Irish Lions play ten rugby union matches, including against all five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises, the New Zealand Barbarians, the Māori All Blacks and three test matches against New Zealand. The British and Irish Lions are a composite team selected from players that are eligible to represent the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales. The Lions first toured New Zealand in 1888, but did not play against the New Zealand national team until 1904. Since then they have only won one test series against the All Blacks, in 1971. The British & Irish Lions team tours every four years and last played in New Zealand in 2005 when they lost the test series 3–0. Wales' head coach and 2013 test series winning coach Warren Gatland retained his role as head coach for the 2017 British & Irish Lions Tour. Former Wales captain Sam Warburton was appointed as tour captain, a role he had in the 2013 Lions tour of Australia. Plan ahead to travel to New Zealand for some memorable rugby matches this summer. Great British & Irish Lions tickets are for sale now online.