Lions considering new proposal for Australia tour after breakthrough Cardiff talks
Lions considering new proposal for Australia tour after breakthrough Cardiff talks
The Lions and Australia are keen to avoid a repeat of the anticlimactic end to the 2017 tour in New Zealand
British and Irish Lions' Sam Warburton and New Zealand's Kieran Read lift the trophy after the series is drawn
(Image: PA )
The British and Irish Lions are considering a proposal for sudden-death extra time should a deciding third Test in the upcoming tour of Australia finish in a draw.
It comes after the 2017 tour saw the Lions share the series with New Zealand, after the third Test in Auckland ended in a 15-15 draw. At the time, many felt the end of the shared series - which culminated in captains Sam Warburton and Kieran Read lifting the trophy together - was seen as anticlimactic.
Rugby Australia chief Phil Waugh has now confirmed that the Lions' board are now looking at ways to avoid another shared series, following talks in Cardiff last week ahead of the European finals at the Principality Stadium.
Waugh had been involved in meetings in the Welsh capital with World Rugby members, as well as Lions management, last week ahead of this summer's tour.
It had already been confirmed that the 20-minute red card would be used during the Lions tour. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
And now it appears that a golden point extra-time could also feature in this summer's tour should the final Test finish level.
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'We've had some really constructive conversations,' Waugh told the Sydney Morning Herald.
'That's got to go to the Lions board around whether it's a drawn series, or you decide it through Golden Point or extra time.'
This year has seen Super Rugby introduce 'Superpoint', where teams play an extra 10 minutes of golden point time to find a winner before a draw is declared.
'Our preference, if we put the fans at the centre of everything we're doing, I think that the familiarity that everyone has with 'Superpoint' and the interest for that in our market is a good guide," added Waugh.
"Obviously, we will be making sure both parties agree.
"But I think that if you're thinking about some fan engagement, that's certainly very appealing.'
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This Lions tour will also see the 20-minute red card used, with the Wallabies supportive of the experiment.
'[Wallabies coach] Joe [Schmidt] has been quite overt around the fact that one of the roles of this tour is based around entertainment and fan engagement, and he has been a big advocate for some time around the benefits of the 20-minute red card,' Waugh added.
'We've been supporting that and advocating for that, and being very vocal in our support for the 20-minute red card.'
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