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Events and Attractions

British & Irish Lions 2017 Schedule Facing Criticism From Premiership Bosses

The schedule for the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand next summer has been called "ludicrous" by leading figures in the English club game, according to Chris Jones of the BBC. The Lions play 10 matches on the tour, "with the first game taking place at the start of June," just a week after the Premiership and Pro12 finals. Saracens Dir of Rugby Mark McCall: "It is ludicrous they are playing 10 games. No one talks about it, because it's the Lions, and the Lions are special." A number of Saracens players "are set to be included in the Lions squad," and McCall is concerned about the physical impact the schedule "could have on those involved." He added, "It's going to be tough, and something that needs to be looked at." Wasps Dir of Rugby Dai Young -- a former Lions prop -- agrees that the schedule "is incompatible with the oft-stated priority of player welfare." He said, "It seems a bit dull really to have the first game [on that date], when they know the finals are in place. I'm a big supporter of the Lions, it's a fantastic thing which I was lucky enough to experience, and it's something that should be kept on. But do they have to have 10 games? Could they start a week later?" (BBC, 8/28). In London, Steve James reported Premiership Rugby CEO Mark McCafferty said, "Personally I don’t know why that was signed up to. It’s a punishing schedule." The issues of a global season and how the int'l calendar might look after the 2019 Rugby World Cup "are causing concern at all levels of the elite game" and McCafferty believes the current workload is "unsustainable." He added, "I think the Lions is in the mix as we move towards the season structure post-2019. You can't do anything about this season." As for the solution, McCafferty said, "We’ve got to sit down and have a look at that. It will not be until we’ve sat through that and understood how crucial it is to the financial picture in the south and what might be done" (TELEGRAPH, 8/27).

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