It might be more than two years away, but talk of the next Lions tour is well underway and an unusual stop could be on the agenda
As we gear up for another Six Nations campaign, nothing could be further from the average rugby fan’s mind than the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in 2017. But the Guardian have an interesting report on a potential warm-up match for the tour.
The paper reports that the US have asked for the team to play a game there en-route to New Zealand. Of course, in 2013, the Lions played in Hong Kong on the way to Australia, though that game was very much sponsor driven.
This time, the purpose would be two-fold. Not only would a full international against the US be a decent preparatory clash for the team, it would also help to grow the game in the US market. Only last year a massive crowd turned out to watch the US play New Zealand in Chicago, and that city would most likely be the venue if the game goes ahead.
France is another potential stop-off for the team on the way to New Zealand and for now, Lions chief Executive John Feehan is not tipping his hand. “It’ll be a very tough tour and we need to make sure we give the guys the best chance,” he said. “We are looking at a game but it’s not necessarily in America.”
The Guardian report notes that it wouldn’t be the first time the Lions played in that part of the world, as they played a game in Vancouver in 1966 on the way home from facing the All Blacks. They lost 8-3 to British Columbia.
