West Indies and T20I cricket. No other country is abstemiously by way of identical through the arrangement. Even no squad partakes appreciated by way of abundant accomplishment on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Fans can buy England Vs West Indies Tickets from our website.
West Indian Cricket Team
“We contract the chance to precise ourselves cutting-edge a diminutive historical of period,” ICC Live the Game representative plus West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard expressed of his squad’s affection and astuteness in T20 cricket. “That’s approximately we like to do.”
But brand no blunder. Communicating themselves is impartial unique fragment of the West Indies’ trademark of T20I cricket. Their standing as a dynamo in the set-up.
First World Cup Win:
Pollard was 22 while West Indies Cricket Team won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time in Sri Lanka. Previously a well-known participant of the group. He consumed impressed his scratch on the competition through a speedy 38 off just 15 in the semi-final against Australia. The sympathetic of battings he remained and remains to be acknowledged aimed at.
They criticized 205/4 in that semi-final. Beside that took out the competition by a huge margin of 74 runs. They consumed a considerable rougher stretch of it in the shootout. Where they were apprehended to 137/6 by Sri Lanka beforehand vigorous back with the globule. As Pollard understands it, “it was intended for us to win that International Cup.”
West Indian Cricket Team
It wasn’t the shock of a period of West Indian T20I ascendency. But those two competitions remained symptomatic of the category of cricket. They can play and have unrelenting to tragedy. That enormous aggregate of 205/4. A glimpse of the altitudes they might. And remain reach after all the smithereens fall in the accurate habitation. A maximum of only few sides can consistently competition. The “appearance” Pollard is referencing.
The conquest in contradiction of Sri Lanka nevertheless is indication of approximately considerable superior. A squad that distinguishes in what way to win after their backs remain in contradiction of the wall. A squad sanctified with shrewdness then distinguish in what way.
Warriors star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck looks likely to leave the club at the end of the season to try to break into the All Blacks squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Rugby fans can book Rugby World Cup Ticketson our website at exclusively discounted prices.
The club is resigned to the likelihood of RTS switching codes
after he was recently granted permission to negotiate only with New Zealand
Rugby.
As first reported by NewsCorp Australia on
Thursday, the 27-year-old Dally M Medalist intends to play out the 2021 Telstra
Premiership season with the Warriors before trying his hand at the 15-player
code to give him enough time to break into the national team for the World Cup
in France.
RTS set to leave Warriors at end of the year for All Blacks Rugby World Cup goal
Warriors CEO Cameron George told NRL.com that the club would
not be making any comment on their captain’s playing future.
He is contracted to the club until the end of 2022 and has an
option in his favor for the following season.
The All Blacks have only ever signed one player who has not
played union in New Zealand – dual international Sonny Bill Williams, who was
lining up in club rugby in France in 2011.
Tuivasa-Sheck spent some time training with the New Zealand
Sevens squad in the North Island town of Mt Maunganui in November.
In September, soon after being appointed to take over as
coach in 2021, Nathan Brown told Triple M that he thought it would be “a
bonus” if RTS played for the Warriors this year and said that “Roger
does have a desire to represent the All Blacks like many, many young Kiwi
kids”.
It is understood the Kiwis would still be keen for
Tuivasa-Sheck to play at the Rugby League World Cup at the end of this year in
the United Kingdom even if he does decide to commit to the union for 2022 and
beyond.
RTS set to leave Warriors at end of the year for All Blacks Rugby World Cup goal
RTS has played 94 matches at fullback for the Warriors since
he arrived in 2016 following an 84-game stint with the Roosters, which included
the 2013 grand final triumph as a winger.
After spending the entire 2020 season relocated in Australia
due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Warriors are set to base themselves in the
NSW Central Coast for at least the first month of the season when it kicks off in
March.
Tuivasa-Sheck publicly stated he struggled with being away
from his young family last season under the circumstances brought about by the
global health crisis.
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Frank Warren is confident Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will
finally meet this year in either May or June.
However, the legendary promoter again stressed the COVID-19 pandemic made it extremely unlikely the fight will happen in the UK this year. Boxing fans can book Boxing Ticketson our website at exclusively discounted prices.
The first undisputed world heavyweight title fight since
Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis locked horns in 1999 looks closer than ever
after the WBO reached out to Oleksandr Usyk.
With the Ukrainian likely to face Joe Joyce for the interim
strap, it leaves Joshua and Fury free to duke it out for the WBA, WBO, WBC, IBF
and Ring Magazine titles.
Frank Warren predicts Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury will be sometime in May or June as heavyweights prepare to meet twice in 2021
Fears about the fight not being in the UK, despite two
British fighters taking part, had intensified in recent weeks given the alarming
surge of coronavirus and yet another national lockdown gripping the nation.
And although Warren admitted the fight may not happen on
these shores, the first of two blockbuster bouts could be coming in just a
matter of months.
“Everybody wants the fight between Tyson and Anthony Joshua,”
Warren told Jim White on talkSPORT.
“That is what the agenda of everybody who is concerned is and
we will do all we have got between us all to make sure it happens.
“That’s the fight everybody wants to see and, whatever the
result of the arbitration, if and when we get some result we will deal with it
as and when.
“I honestly believe the next fight will be the two guys,
nobody can predict anything at the moment, can they? We are in the middle of
this pandemic, we all thought by now we would be having live events in the UK.
Frank Warren predicts Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury will be sometime in May or June as heavyweights prepare to meet twice in 2021
“If you had asked us these four months ago, that was where it
was heading. 2021 it was all going to be over, when in fact it is looking
worse.
“So it is wherever the best offer comes from; there have been
a few offers made, I’m not going to go into where they have come from, but
everybody will collectively look at them and collectively the decisions will be
made.
“But the fight, we are hoping to get it on and, if we are
being realistic, it will be sometime in May or June.
“I hope that in the next few weeks it is over the line. We
are supposed to be getting some sort of draft agreement this week and it will
be a two-fight deal.”
“Now is the best time for the Anthony Joshua vs Tyson
Fury promoters to make Oleksandr Usyk a serious offer either to fight the WBO
champion or to step aside and fight for the interim,” says Ukrainian’s
promoter. Joe Joyce’s manager ads: “We have also been in talks to fight
Usyk next.”
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury’s dream fight is closer to becoming a reality after the major issue posed by Oleksandr Usyk edged nearer to being resolved. Boxing fans can book Boxing Ticketson our website at exclusively discounted prices.
Usyk’s status as WBO mandatory challenger to the belt held by
Joshua was a problem that the governing body have started to settle by
contacting the Ukrainian to say he may have to wait for a title shot.
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury takes big step forward as WBO contact Oleksandr Usyk who may fight Joe Joyce
Early negotiations have now begun to pit Usyk against Joe
Joyce (who is ranked No 2 by the WBO) for the organisation’s interim title –
meaning Joshua vs Fury can take place next, with every major championship in
the heavyweight division at stake.
Joshua is the IBF, WBA and WBO title holder and Fury owns the
WBC belt meaning this generation-defining battle would crown the first
undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis.
Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk exclusively told Sky
Sports: “I received the call from George Warren [the son of Joyce’s
promoter Frank Warren] with the offer to promote Usyk vs Joyce for the interim
WBO heavyweight championship this spring.
“We also received the letter from WBO saying that they
are considering granting sanction for AJ vs Fury.
“But Usyk has never received any serious offer nor did
anyone approach him with the offer to ‘step aside’. We all read it from media.
“I know that the WBO in general and its president Paco
Valcarcel in particular will never violate the rules of its organisation and
sanction the major fight without Usyk’s consent.
“So now is the best time for the AJ vs Fury fight
promoters to make Usyk a serious offer either to fight the WBO champion or to
step aside and fight for the interim.”
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury takes big step forward as WBO contact Oleksandr Usyk who may fight Joe Joyce
Usyk won Olympic gold alongside Joshua in 2012 and, as a
professional, is unbeaten in 18 and became the undisputed cruiserweight
champion before stepping up a division and outpointing Derek Chisora.
Joyce, a 2016 Olympic silver medallist, exploded onto the
world title scene two months ago when he brutally ended the unbeaten rise of
the feted Daniel Dubois.
Joyce’s manager Sam Jones of SJAM Boxing exclusively
told Sky Sports: “We’ve been in talks with Joe’s promoter Frank
Warren for a couple of weeks now. We are looking at extending Joe’s deal with
Frank and BT given that it is going to expire.
“He is now in a very strong position after beating
Daniel Dubois who was tipped worldwide as one of the best young talents in the
world. Joe and the team wish Daniel all the best with his recovery from a bad
eye injury and I am certain he’ll come again but this is now Joe Joyce’s time
to fulfil his dream of becoming world heavyweight champion.
“As well as that we have also been in talks to fight
Usyk next which could potentially be for the interim world title which would be
a massive fight.
“I think this is a fair outcome for Joe and Usyk to
contest for the interim title as AJ vs Fury is the biggest fight in world
boxing and it’s only right it is for the undisputed world heavyweight
title.”
Joyce previously told Sky Sports about taking on
Usyk: “Derek Chisora put up a valiant effort but Usyk’s skills were
better. Against me? It would be a different story.
“It would be a mental battle but a physical one too
because he’d have a big ‘Juggernaut’ coming towards him for 12 rounds.”
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury takes big step forward as WBO contact Oleksandr Usyk who may fight Joe Joyce
The former WBC champion has entered a mediation process to
lure Fury back into the ring for a third fight.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports:
“[Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum] is not too concerned. He feels like the
contract is over.
“There is an arbitration going on in that respect. I
don’t see that as an issue. If there is, Fury has to give Wilder some kind of
compensation to take these two fights [against Joshua].”
Arum told Sky Sports: “I think we’ll sort through
any issues and arrive at the conclusion, which is the fight that everybody
wants.”
A location for Joshua vs Fury is yet to be decided but both
boxers’ promoters have suggested they can amicably agree.
A week ago Arum told Sky Sports: “I don’t want to
make a deadline, but I just can report that everything so far has been going
splendidly, and we hope to have a signed document within the next couple of
weeks.
“I’m 95 per cent confident the fight happens, and I’m
100 per cent confident that my guy wins, and wins by knockout.”
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury promises to be the biggest fight
of a generation.
While the pair is yet to put pen to paper on a contract,
reports coming out of both camps suggest that official confirmation is on the
horizon.
According to Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, most of the
sticking points have been ironed out, with the Matchroom king-pin recently
claiming that the deal is as good as done.
The venue for the fight continues to be shrouded in mystery,
though, after Bob Arum declared that a host nation had been secured before
Hearn refuted that claim.
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury: The crazy broadcast plan behind £200m fight
Another major issue that still needs sorting are the
broadcast rights for the fight.
Joshua has an exclusive deal with Sky Sports while Fury
boasts a similar partnership with BT.
There is a similar conundrum in the USA, where Fury and
Joshua again have exclusive deals with competitors ESPN and DAZN.
As a result, there is a broadcast cold war brewing with some
of the wealthiest organisations in the television game fighting desperately for
the right to show the bout.
However, Hearn thinks that he may have a solution to suit all
parties and believes that a deal could be struck to see the rights shared.
“I don’t think it will be difficult. There’s a solution
for everybody,” he said.
“The two broadcast issues are DAZN and ESPN in America –
AJ has a matching rights deal with DAZN and Fury has an exclusive deal with
ESPN.
“When you flip that in the UK, AJ has an exclusive deal
with Sky and Fury has matching rights with BT.
Is there a deal where all four of those parties can carry
broadcast of the fight? Yeah, I believe there is.
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury: The crazy broadcast plan behind £200m fight
“I can’t speak on behalf of Sky, but I’m not sure they
would have an issue with saying to the public, ‘You can watch on Sky or
BT.”
While it is rare, there are several case studies of
successful broadcast sharing deals to draw upon.
HBO and Showtime teamed up to show the Mike Tyson vs Lennonx
Lewis in 2002 while FOX and ESPN cross-promoted Floyd Mayweather’s victory over
Manny Pacquiao.
Fans will be hoping a deal can soon be struck but Hearn may
have a bit of a juggling act on his hands in the meantime.
One only hopes that what is best for the fans remains at the
forefront of all the negotiations.
Eddie Hearn’s next job will be to decide on a venue, with the
Middle East a likely destination for the mega-fight
The summer mega-fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson
Fury could be signed within a month and promoter Eddie Hearn is
already eying a winter rematch in Cardiff.
The British Boxing Board of Control suspended all
competition for January as Britain went into the latest lockdown with levels of
Covid-19 now higher than ever across the country.
But Hearn has announced a bullish return for his Matchroom
stable with five cards taking place throughout February and March and he now
hopes to finally seal the biggest fight in British history for “end of May,
start of June”.
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury fight contract will be signed within four weeks, says Eddie Hearn
The promoter says the two world heavyweight champions have
already agreed on a 50:50 split and the finer points of the deal could be
signed within three weeks. He says he will then get to work on deciding which
of the 10 interested international venues would be most appropriate.
“We’re in a good place with Joshua-Fury,” Hearn said. “Talks are progressing, it’s going really well, we’re drafting contracts and I think, really, if someone said to me ‘How long do you think?’ I said in the next four weeks – that’s when the deal will get closed.
“We’re in a position now where everything is being finalised in the contractual sense, then we will go to the venues where we’ve had offers and say: OK, now we’re looking to negotiate and finalise that, then we’ll make sure both fighters are happy.
“But we’re almost at a point now where we can go out to the venues with confidence and say we have a fight. Once we do that we’re in a good place.”
Hearn had hoped to ensure that the unification clash between
IBF, WBA, WBO champion Joshua and the current WBC king Fury would take place on
British soil but with coronavirus still precluding fans from attending sporting
events, that is now impossible.
Instead Joshua and Fury will take their show on the road and
hope to split a colossal site fee in a foreign land. “We’ve had conversations
in Australia, Singapore, Saudi, Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Eastern Europe,
America,” Hearn added.
“I think the Middle East will be very aggressive and will be frontrunners in this. But we’ve had a lot of other interesting approaches from territories that we might not have thought were players in this fight but I believe they are.
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury fight contract will be signed within four weeks, says Eddie Hearn
“To stage this fight you’re going to need significant government support. I don’t think a major gate alone [will be enough], and this is the problem with the US where we could do a huge gate. It needs to be bigger than that.
“It’s going to be difficult for a country that doesn’t have financial support from the government to land an event like this. You need someone who is going to stage the fight as a statement for their country, for exposure for their country, to showcase tourism and to showcase they’re up and running as a nation.
“Anywhere that is reliant on a gate is out of the question in light of the restrictions.”
However, with the government’s vaccination plans now
gathering pace, there is a hope that life could return to something approaching
normal towards the end of this year. And that could open the door for any
rematch between the heavyweight duo to take place back in Britain.
Wembley Stadium is not suitable during the winter because of
its lack of roof so Hearn says a return to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium,
where Joshua boxed both Carlos Takam and Joseph Parker, is most likely.
“I’d like the second fight to be in the UK,” Hearn said. “Again you’re reliant on where could we go? Principality stadium, really.
“Right now Britain has got better things to spend our money on than bringing in a major sporting event but we’d be a lot of under pressure for that fight to be in the UK. I don’t really want two of them outside the UK if we can at all help it.”
However, one heavyweight fight which now looks set to take
place overseas is Dillian Whyte’s rematch with Alexander Povetkin – and
Gibraltar has emerged as a bizarre contender to host it.
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury fight contract will be signed within four weeks, says Eddie Hearn
Whyte was knocked out in one of the most dramatic finishes of
2020 when Alexander Povetkin dragged himself off the canvas to stop Whyte with
a hellacious uppercut in the fifth round of their August clash.
The rematch was supposed to take place in November but
Povetkin was forced to withdraw after contracting Coronavirus. Then the Russian
was hospitalized for a second time by the virus at the turn of the year which
meant a second provisional date in January was cancelled.
But it has been announced that Whyte will get his chance of
revenge on March 6 – although home advantage is not assured.
“There is a possibility that the Whyte fight will go international,” Hearn said. “We’ve spoken to some quite interesting ones, a couple in the Middle East and we’ve also spoken to Gibraltar and also to Monaco.
“The feeling from Dillian is he would like crowds for that fight. It’s a big fight for him and he would prefer that fight in front of some kind of crowds but even in the territories I mentioned there’s no guarantee that would be the case either. There could be crowds in Gibraltar.”
British and Irish Lions fans have started a petition
asking the home nations to drop any plan of hosting the next tour in the UK.
Warren Gatland’s side is set to tour South
Africa this summer, with the plan as things stand for it to go
ahead.
However, due to the current pandemic alternative arrangements
are being drawn up, including the prospect of a first-ever home tour.
British and Irish Lions supporters start petition pleading with home nations to shelve any plans to forego South Africa 2021 trip and host first ever domestic tour as more than 1,400 fans sign it within 24 hours
A decision is set to be made by early next month on whether
to press ahead or make alternative arrangements, with the preference being to
move the tour to 2022.
However, the fierce resistance to that proposal from some
home nations, as reported by Sportsmail last week, leaves the
possibility of a UK tour a real option.
As a result, fans have fought back, pleading with the powers
that be to come to an arrangement that would allow the series to be moved back
a year.
The petition on Change.org, started by Mark
Gardner, stated: ‘Covid-19 will almost certainly prevent the 2021 British &
Irish Lions tour from taking place in the host country of South Africa.
‘We are petitioning for the home nations of England (RFU),
Scotland (SRU), Ireland (IRFU) Wales (WRU) who collectively make up the British
& Irish Lions Board, and South Africa (SA Rugby) to do the right thing by
agreeing to switch the Lions tour to 2022, placing this before the needs of
their own country’s proposed summer tours.
British and Irish Lions supporters start petition pleading with home nations to shelve any plans to forego South Africa 2021 trip and host first ever domestic tour as more than 1,400 fans sign it within 24 hours
‘The Lions requires only 36 players from across the four home
nations.
‘A well-documented UK-hosted replacement Series in July 2021
not only dilutes the rich touring history of the Lions, it denies South
Africa’s fans, stadia, businesses, and whole tourism infrastructure the
opportunity to host, impress and benefit from the 30,000 fans expected to
follow the world’s most passionate invitational touring team.’
As of 3pm on Tuesday afternoon, the petition had
already garnered 1,457 signatures after just 24 hours after being set up.
British Irish Lions Tour tickets are available on our website at very discounted prices. So fans can book British lions Ticketson www.xchangetickets.com.
Former Springbok scrumhalf Fourie du Preez says the British & Irish Lions have ‘all the ingredients’ to make the 2021 tour of South Africa successful. Rugby fans can book British lions 2021 ticketson our website at exclusively discounted prices.
Du Preez was a major part of the Springbok team which claimed
a 2-1 series victory over the Lions during their previous tour of South Africa
in 2009.
British lions: Boks have to be at their best to beat Lions
Since then, the Lions have come under the tutelage of former
Wales coach Warren Gatland, who has taken the invitational team to a series win
over Australia in 2013 and a drawn series with the All Blacks in 2017 and will
be coaching the team again in South Africa.
Gatland’s Wales’s team also had a good record against the
Springboks, having gone on a four-match winning run between 2016 and 2018,
which South Africa managed to bring to an end in the 2019 World Cup
semi-finals.
Speaking to Rugby World magazine, Du Preez said
Gatland’s knowledge combined with the ominous form of the United Kingdom
nations mean that the Springboks will have to be at their very best if they
hope to claim a series victory in July.
‘The Lions weren’t ready for that first Test in 2009. I doubt
they will make the same mistake in 2021,’ Du Preez said.
British lions: Boks have to be at their best to beat Lions
‘Warren Gatland has been successful on past tours to
Australia and New Zealand. He knows what’s required in South Africa, having
been part of the coaching team in 2009 and having been head coach of Wales for
so long.
‘England have been playing good rugby and winning big
matches. Ireland has a lot of good players, and there are a few from Scotland,
too. Gatland will know how to get the best out of the Welsh players.
‘The Lions certainly have all the ingredients for a
successful tour. The Boks will have to be at their very best to come out on
top.’
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The British and Irish Lions series with South Africa could be
held in the UK and Ireland if Covid-19 prevents fans from traveling.
That is among the contingency plans discussed by the Lions board in the event the trip has to be abandoned. Rugby fans can book British lions 2021 ticketson our website at exclusively discounted prices.
Instead, games would be played in Edinburgh, London, Cardiff,
and Dublin.
The South African rugby union has previously made it clear
that a tour without visiting fans would not be commercially viable for them.
B&I Playing South Africa tests in UK & Ireland is a contingency plan
The Lions board is also thought to be unenthusiastic about
the Idea.
However, it is hoped that a vaccine would allow for fans to
attend games in the UK by summer.
In a statement on Saturday, the Lions board announced that
they had been having “repeated meetings to discuss all scenarios available
and is in constant dialogue”.
A warm-up contest with Japan is already scheduled for
Murrayfield in Edinburgh on 26 June.
After that, the original plan is for the Lions to travel to
South Africa to play five provincial games before the three-Test series against
the world champions.
The revised plan would likely see the Test matches held at
Cardiff’s Principality Stadium and Wembley and Twickenham in London.
Government restrictions currently forbid fans from attending,
but even if restrictions are lifted, the Lions board is worried that such a
large movement of people could put any Covid-19 recovery in jeopardy.
It had been mooted that the tour might be delayed until 2022,
but all four nations have Test matches scheduled for that summer window and are
not keen on that switch.
Lions managing director Ben Calveley said: “It will meet
throughout January and into February, if required, to review all relevant
information and data.
“After further consultation with SA Rugby, we will
update on the outcome of these meetings in due course.”
The case to play in Britain & Ireland
Former Lions tourist Ugo Monye on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Rugby
Union Weekly podcast
Imagine Old Trafford, St James’ Park, Wembley Stadium,
Millennium Stadium, Murrayfield – for me that would be unbelievable.
But we don’t have the certainty in the UK to be able to host
any sport at the moment. The idea could only be entertained if we fully believe
we can have crowds back so the Lions could make more money out of it – because
that’s what it’s going to come down to.
B&I Playing South Africa tests in UK & Ireland is a contingency plan
The case to postpone until 2022
Monye on delaying until the year before the World Cup and the
impact on player welfare
You’ve played uninterrupted Premiership and Heineken
Champions Cup, then you have a six or seven-week tour with the Lions. Then you
have a short pre-season before you’re back into the club season.
On the tour I went on, I think there were seven or eight
English guys on that tour. I think everyone bar two players had major surgery
that following season.
BBC Sport rugby correspondent Chris Jones
The whole point of a Lions tour is the band of brothers going
into hostile environments away from home. The Lions tour should be done in
South Africa with traveling fans or not done at all.
The case to play in South Africa without fans
Monye, who toured South Africa with the Lions in 2009
We know the cash injection it gives to these Southern
Hemisphere nations every 12 years. They need it. It’s just not worth it. The
fans, just like the Six Nations, are such an integral part of the experience.
It plays a massive factor in the success of a team. You have
got 10s of thousands of fans who have probably already booked to go there.
Behind closed doors, it doesn’t interest me. I wouldn’t even table it as an
option.”
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Postponing the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa
until 2022 is the most credible contingency if the series could not proceed
with crowd attendance, writes DYLAN JACK.
It’s something South African fans have desperately been avoiding to think about, but the reality is that the second coronavirus wave currently looks set to have an unavoidable impact on the 2021 series. Rugby fans can book British lions 2021 ticketson our website at exclusively discounted prices.
The adage in sport is that things can change very quickly
over a few months, but the logistics involved in either moving, cancelling or
postponing the tour mean that a decision will have to be taken sooner rather
than later.
Postpone British and Irish Lions tour if the need arises
There is plenty riding on the tour, especially for SA Rugby,
who knows the value of hosting this high-profile marquee event. In the current
Covid-19-affected environment, it’s a tour of, particularly immense value.
That’s without mentioning that the Springboks have not been
in action since the 2019 World Cup final after it was decided to withdraw from
the Australia-hosted Rugby Championship, to ensure that players are at peak
fitness for the Lions tour.
‘We are looking at several different contingencies around
what happens if Covid continues in the way that it currently does,’ SA Rugby
CEO Jurie Roux told the South African media back in August last year.
‘Obviously, the first prize is that that doesn’t happen. Second prize is that
there are some restrictions and we can manage in those restrictions.
‘To be fair, no spectators and an inability for people to
travel would commercially not make this viable and there would be a serious
reconsideration on how we then continue in terms of the tour.’
As far as contingencies go, it is clear that with so much
riding on it, cancelling the tour is just not an option SA Rugby could afford
at this stage.
Another interesting suggestion which has gained a bit of
traction is to instead see the Springboks tour the United Kingdom in July, with
warm-up fixtures against Japan and PRO14 title-holders Leinster before the
three-Test series against the Lions in London, Cardiff and Dublin.
If spectators are allowed back in stadiums in the northern
hemisphere by then, this is certainly a suggestion which has legs, especially
considering the large South African ex-pat community currently residing in the
UK.
Postpone British and Irish Lions tour if the need arises
It has also been proposed that the Lions instead return to
either New Zealand or Australia, who have both recently been able to welcome
crowds back to their respective stadiums. This would, however, mean that the
invitational team could only return to South Africa in 2032 if the current
rotational policy is abided by.
First prize has to be keeping the tour in South Africa. As
the Springboks are the current World Cup holders, a series against the British
& Irish Lions would hold more intrigue than any other. Given how difficult
2020 was for South Africa, the country needs something to look forward to and
travelling fans from the UK will undoubtedly boost the country’s tourism
sector.
That is why when a decision has to be made, the thought
should be around postponing the tour until it is safe for fans to travel to
South Africa.
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