Lucky Mdluli
This year’s British and Irish Lions Tests are almost certainly going to be played in the United Kingdom, where fans are likely to be able to attend sporting events from June.
The UK government said two weeks ago that fans should be back in stadiums by mid-year, which has strengthened the argument for the Tests to be played in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Although not confirmed, the three Tests are scheduled for July and August when British health authorities expect that its vaccine rollout will allow for the opening up of sporting events.
The 133-year-old Lions traditionally play provincial and national invitational sides – starting with the DHL Stormers at their new Cape Town stadium home on July 3 – where playing combinations are tried out.
Assembled from teams across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the Lions are a unique rugby tradition, touring South Africa, Australia and New Zealand every four years.
This year, the Lions are playing a warm up match against Japan in Edinburgh on 26th June, adding fuel to the rumours that the Lions will be this year’s hosts and not tourists.
If this does come to pass, Springbok director of rugby Rassie Erasmus must certainly be thinking of the legions of South Africans playing in Europe and therefore familiar with the conditions.
The Sale Sharks victory over lowly Newcastle Falcons on Saturday would have been no surprise for followers of the Premier Rugby Shield. Captained by fiery Faf de Klerk, there are eight South African players in the team – all of them in key positions.
De Klerk, Lood de Jager, Cobus Wiese and Daniel du Preez are in the starting line up, while Akker van der Merwe, Coenie Oosthuizen and Robert du Preez are on the bench.
As many as 80 South African-born players are playing overseas – which raises questions about the state of South African rugby. For many of these players it’s often for a big payday at the end of their careers, like Dan Carter, who played his last years overseas before retiring last month.
Both Erasmus and Warren Gatland, the coach of the British and Irish Lions, must be wondering how much of an advantage these European-based players might offer.
As much as it is a loss for SA rugby that front line players are playing overseas, it must also be quite an ace up Erasmus’s sleeve that all those players are available for selection.
Picture source: @Springboks
