Former British & Irish Lions Manager John Spencer is concerned with the future of the team.GETTY IMAGES
A new structure for the domestic game in England that "imperils the future" of the British & Irish Lions was unveiled on Monday, according to Owen Slot of the LONDON TIMES. The Lions' tour to South Africa in '21 will be "squeezed into a five-week window" with no training week separating the Premiership Rugby final and the squad's departure. The loser "appears to be the Lions." At the end of the tour to New Zealand last year, then-manager John Spencer said that Lions tours "needed more time." He also said that "if English clubs could not release their players earlier, then they might have to be cut from the tour." The agreement "confirms Spencer's worst fears." Last year, the Lions had one week between the European domestic finals -- in the Premiership and the Pro12 -- and the first game in New Zealand. They went on to play 10 fixtures in six weeks. According to Spencer, that was "not a proper preparation." Premiership Rugby CEO Mark McCafferty said, "Everybody has had to give a bit." While the Lions have been "hit hard," the clubs conceded that they have "not fully achieved their intention" of ending the overlap of int'l and Premiership games. The number of overlapping weeks will be reduced "but not eradicated" (LONDON TIMES, 10/23). In London, Paul Rees reported Spencer asked, "Who is going to want to take on the task of coaching the Lions on what is going to be a virtually impossible challenge? Are players at the end of a long season going to be prepared to risk reputational damage given the lack of time to prepare?" He added, "This will damage the ethos of the Lions. This has come about from the debate over player welfare, but what it shows is that player welfare is only given lip service if money is involved. Talk to Lions past and present and they will tell you, to a man, what going on a tour means. I fear that some of the people making decisions have no concept of that and I find that is happening very concerning" (GUARDIAN, 10/24). In London, Mick Cleary wrote there will be "enormous anxiety" that Lions tours are "on a slippery slope" toward extinction. There will also be "particular concern" from England players with ambitions to feature in the test series against South Africa in '21 that they have been "unduly handicapped" (TELEGRAPH, 10/23).
