British and Irish Lions in dispute with Australia over ‘golden point'

Telegraph

6 hours ago

The British and Irish Lions have rejected an appeal by Australia for this summer's series to be decided by a 'golden point' in the event it finishes in a draw, as it did against New Zealand in 2017.
Phil Waugh, the Rugby Australia chief executive, suggested at meetings in London last month that 'golden point' extra time – which means the first team to score wins – should be played in such circumstances. However, the Lions have blocked it, heightening tensions and opening up the potential for another drawn series.
In 2017, with the series locked at 1-1, the third Test in Auckland ended 15-15, which culminated in one of the most iconic photographs in the history of the Lions, with players from both sides mixing together for a joint squad shot.
Telegraph Sport can also reveal that cameras will be placed in the Lions changing rooms in Australia to show live footage for the first time.
In another first, the Lions are to feature names on the backs of their shirts. These will be on display for the first time in the pre-tour match against Argentina on Friday night.
Both moves are part of a drive to grow interest in the tourists and increase fan engagement.
England were the first side to break the mould at Test level by putting names on the back of shirts for the four-game Autumn Nations Series in 2022.
The names will also feature on the shirts of the replacements, and supporters will be able to purchase replica jerseys with surnames of players such as 'Smith 10' or 'Itoje 4'.
Player names will be on the back of our jerseys for the first time tomorrow! 🦁 #Lions2025 pic.twitter.com/voXnMgTqGw
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 19, 2025
The move to open up the Lions changing room is a major innovation in the Sky Sports coverage. It is understood that cameras will flick on 15 minutes before kick-off, without audio, to enable viewers to see players returning from their pre-match warm-up.
It is intended to give an insight into the final moments of the Lions' preparations and also to broadcast the final speech of Lions captain Maro Itoje, albeit without audio.
At half-time the cameras are to be turned on again to show Lions head coach Andy Farrell and his coaching team address the players, while more footage will be shown again after the game.
In Australia, when the stadiums include warm-up areas, cameras will also be installed to show footage of the players warming up before the games.
The Lions also have their own production team in camp to produce a post-tour documentary.