Welsh Rugby CEO Wants To Discuss Profits Split From British & Irish Lions Tours

Welsh Rugby Union CEO Roger Lewis said that the home nations "need to look at how the money made from the British and Irish Lions tours is divided up," according to the BBC. The Lions are "currently on a tour of Australia, culminating in a three-Test series against the Wallabies." Lewis claims that hosts Australia "will bank most of the income generated by the nine games they host." Lewis: "This is the subject of much debate at the moment, in terms of the monies generated by the Lions. The majority, by a country mile, of the revenue generated goes to the host country, so in this case it's Australia. For the home unions, the shareholders of Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, the numbers are relatively modest." The Lions tour of Australia is "reportedly expected to generate" £40M ($62M) for the Australian Rugby Union, while the Lions are expected to share a pot of £6M ($9M), generated largely by sponsorship. All the profits made by the Lions "are shared by Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales" (BBC, 6/19).