The British and Irish Lions will consider touring smaller rugby nations like Japan, Argentina and the United States as they aim to become “more of a global proposition”.
Historically, the Lions have largely played against New Zealand, Australia or South Africa, barring three tours of Argentina and one of France.
The expected 2029 tour of New Zealand is not yet confirmed, though talks have begun. Three years ago, the Lions played a pre-tour match against Japan at Murrayfield, while they will face Argentina in Dublin in 2025 – and full tours of those nations could be on the cards going forward.
Lions CEO Ben Calveley explained the potential changes, saying: “There are no long-term commitments in place – we are interested in establishing a relationship with different geographies around the world.
“Don’t take that as me saying we’re going to tour anywhere else soon, but we established a relationship with Japan three years ago, we’re playing Argentina in Dublin.
“Becoming more of a global proposition is really important to us.
“We’re about to start our Beyond 25 project, thinking what the Lions can do differently, innovatively in the future. There’s nothing set in stone. We’ve already started discussions with New Zealand, so we’re talking really long-term here.
“There’s lots of things we can do, like our pre-tournament fixtures, think about ways to engage with different geographies and different territories.”
Analysis: Lions’ battle for relevance is a gamble
Is that something fans and viewers would want? There has been enough concern over whether Australia will provide adequate opposition for the Lions, let alone the likes of world No 12 side Japan or No 17 USA. The novelty factor may allow it to happen once, but is the rugby culture strong or widespread enough in any of those nations to satiate either a TV audience or the Lions’ famed travelling fans?
It was originally proposed that the Lions could play a “Pacific Island XV” of players from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa as part of their warm-ups for the 2025 tour. That has not happened. Once more there will just be a slew of club fixtures and one match against an Anzac invitational side once the Lions hit Aussie turf.
It has at least been confirmed that Super Rugby sides will be contractually obliged to play their Test players, which should mean we avoid a similar fiasco to 2021, when weakened South African club sides lost by at least 40 points.
The Lions haven’t played a nation outside the big three in their own country since 1977, when they were beaten 25-21 by Fiji in Suva. During the last World Cup, Fiji head coach Simon Raiwalui said: “There would be a huge appetite [for a Lions Test].
“Selfishly, I would like it to be Fiji to do it. We are the only team undefeated against the Lions with a 1-0 record, so we can put down the challenge to them and see if they can equal the score.
“I think it would be a great opportunity to include the Pacific Islands, even if it is a difficult logistical challenge to bring it all together. One week to sort players from different teams and cultures is enjoyable but would be a great challenge for us.”
But still, this is only ever proposed to be one match. Herein lies the obvious issue with the Lions attempting to widen their global footprint and avoid the big three.
If you build a super-squad from four of the top eight rugby-playing nations on earth, at some point they need to face opposition of a similar calibre, something extremely rare in the modern game. No-one would watch The Avengers if they spent each film stamping out petit larceny.
With coach-less Australia struggling, New Zealand, South Africa and France are the only nations which could provide ample resistance to the Lions, and loading the squad into the Eurostar doesn’t quite have the same feel to it.
The relevance and future of the Lions comes into question around every tour, as it increasingly appears an anachronism in an ever-more professionalised game. That a team is constructed from four regions at weeks’ notice and expected to perform as though they’d prepared for years becomes less and less feasible as the quality and complexity of the opposition continues to develop.
As far back as 1989, head coach Clive Rowlands was forced to say: “British Isles rugby union tours must continue. Let’s ditch the negativity now. A Lions season is truly special.”
Is the move to widen the Lions’ net a genuine move to secure the sustainability of their future and expand their global popularity, or a desperate attempt to force originality onto a concept that can feel tired and futile? In truth, probably a bit of both.
It is still true that in a Lions year, the Lions are rugby’s hottest ticket, with fans and players swept up by the romantic ideal of brotherhood and brilliance which fuels its continued sanctity.
Yet would that be the case if they spent six weeks knocking lumps out of Brave Lupus Tokyo and Toyota Verblitz before battering the Brave Blossoms? Expansion is a wonderful idea in principle, but the reality is simply not in line with either the global game or the fundamental raison d’etre of the Lions.