WITH the pandemic still raging in South Africa, Rugby Australia has offered to take on the role as host for the British and Irish Lions Series vs South Africa, scheduled to take place later this year.
Fears grew that the invitational side’s highly-anticipated tour could be cancelled as South Africa’s Covid-19 cases ballooned to more than 1.4 million, with almost 45 000 deaths.
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With the virus largely contained in Australia, new Rugby Australia chief executive, Andy Marinos, said it was in a position to accommodate the tour.
‘It is so important for the global rugby economy and the community that we have international rugby played with as little disruption as possible,’ Marinos told the press.
Lions tours, which feature players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, are held every four years, alternating between South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
The eight-match tour is scheduled to run from 3 July to 7 August, and will feature three Tests between the Lions and the current world champions on 24 July, 31 July and 7 August.
If Australia hosts the tour, two of the three Tests will be played in Perth, which has a large South African expatriate community.
Both sides are keen for the series to proceed and Boks’ rugby director, Rassie Erasmus, said last month the South Africans ‘will do anything’ to play the Lions.
There has been speculation matches could be played without crowds in South Africa, or played in Britain, but spiralling infection rates mean both options look remote.
Rugby Australia chairman, Hamish McLennan, said his organisation would only seek to cover its costs for staging the series, meaning the Lions and South African Rugby would still split revenue from one of the most lucrative events on the rugby calendar.
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