Successful series shows why the Lions are here to stay — but new threats provoke tough questions for the future

Independent

4 days ago

The great exodus of British and Irish Lions fans has begun, the pilgrims in their red cloaks making passage back to their home isles after the adventure of a lifetime. It is estimated that more than double the number of travelling fans came to Australia to soak up this series than in previous trips, a figure inflated by the Covid-wrecked affair in South Africa that saw plenty delay a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Their presence has helped make the 2025 edition the most profitable tour in history 'by a significant margin'. Certainly, in Brisbane, Melbourne and now Sydney, it has been impossible to miss the massed red bodies – one suspects the hostelries and hotels of Australia will have been glad of their presence.
But look closer among them and one would have found plenty of rugby high-rollers and influential players, too. As with any major event in the sport, these have been crucial weeks of discussion, bread-breaking and plotting, with a number of executives taking the chance to visit Australia to catch up and set out plans for the future. World Rugby has been hard at work finalising the details of the new Nations Cup, due to launch next year, with details expected soon of the exact structure of the competition. A return Down Under for the World Cup in 2027 is also on the horizon – ticket packages will soon be on sale for a tournament that it is hoped will help revive rugby union in the nation.
Yet one conceived competition has dominated discussions in the last fortnight particularly. Some of those behind the proposed R360 breakaway league have been hard at work recruiting possible players and assembling the sort of high-calibre staff to make an ambitious idea happen, with nearly 30 permanent employees said to have been found. The idea of the franchise competition is to revolutionise the game and bring in new investment, appealing to players with lighter workloads and significant pay-packets as part of a global tour of major cities. If the economics of a sprawling venture remain slightly doubtful, and it for now remains entirely conceptual, there is growing belief that it will actually materialise.
Should it do so, it will instantly pose problems for an already delicate ecosystem. Some suggest that R360 will be able to work in conjunction with the existing properties of the game but even those involved with the Lions, as established a rugby brand as they come, will surely be wondering what the impact of an upstart disruptor within the sport may be.
Sat in the Lions' team hotel on Sunday, chief executive Ben Calveley was a contented man – he had record revenues to report and a competitive series won. But even a great anachronism does not want to be left behind, and Calveley's admission that his organisation had had no formal discussions with the rebels felt jarring. 'It's up to them who they want to make contact with,' the CEO said. 'I don't really want to comment on how they manage their own business. For me, what is encouraging is that our players remain committed to the Lions.'
These could again be intriguing times for the Lions to navigate. Their place in the calendar is enshrined by World Rugby's Regulation 9, which ensures player release for the tour, and it is clear that the tourists will be off to New Zealand in four years' time, but much otherwise is uncertain. The economic heft and history of the quadrennial tourists ensures that they have a bright future, yet there is a sense that they could be doing more to make the most of their time in the spotlight. Much is on the table - having been frustrated by the non-competitiveness of some tour games, Calveley and his ilk are exploring the prospect of facing Fiji, Japan or other nations ahead of the All Blacks series in 2029. It is a smart idea, one feels – the tour games on this trip were largely forgettable, other than the First Nations & Pasifika encounter against a side who embraced a larger purpose.
'If we're looking at bringing in new components into the tour, it's because we're interested in building relationships with those markets,' Calveley explained. 'If you think about the Lions, we've got great relationship with countries that make up the Lions and the countries we have toured historically. But outside of that, there's an opportunity to grow even further. That's what that will be."
There has also been a frustration in some parts about a Lions tour that has felt more insular and insulated than past trips. A focus on high performance has seen the squad - who say they have had the time of their lives – perhaps eschew the sort of community and cultural experiences that make up the Lions legend. While insiders insist that this is misplaced, the pursuit of on-field success can feel incompatible with the open approach so embedded within the fabric of the touring side.
An ability to attract new fans will also be key. The average travelling Lions supporter is said to be in their late 50s, with recent retirees making up a significant number of a sea of red that it is expensive to become part of. As one figure involved with a sponsor joked, perhaps flight socks would have been an apt gift for those travelling on tour given that sort of age profile; bringing new fans through is a goal for Calveley and co.
'That's part of the reason why the home fixture has been attractive for us in the past,' he explained. 'For all those people that can't travel on the tour, going to Dublin is obviously more accessible, as it was when we went up to Edinburgh four years prior to that.
'There is also a piece that is about the way people are consuming through our digital and social channels. The majority of people consuming our content through that format are in the under-34 age category. There is a really large element of the Lions fan that is younger. We are bringing a young audience to the game, but any way we can think to get them into the country so that they can experience the tour would definitely be worthwhile.'
The other element to consider, which gets to the nub of one of R360's selling points, is how to ensure that the Lions really is the best of the British Isles meeting the best of the host nation. The worrying sight of a spent Tom Curry hobbling off in Sydney was, in truth, little surprise given the brutal workload he and other players have to endure – figures like Maro Itoje, Tommy Freeman and Finn Russell blew past the 30-game limit set by the Rugby Players' Association (RPA) to preserve player welfare. After criticism over the calling up of nearby players to cover for the First Nations encounter, and the bloating of the squad that causes, there is no guarantee that the midweek game between the first and second Tests remains on the itinerary.
A heavy workload of 15 Tests between July and November is also surely part of the reason why Joe Schmidt was cautious around Will Skelton and Rob Valetini, whose absence from the first Test proved costly. There are only so many times that these top internationals can go to the well and the appeal of the shorter club fixture list that R360 will seemingly offer is obvious.
The Lions, though, will be going nowhere. For all of the criticisms around this tour it was vastly superior to the 2021 trip where the absence of fans was so keenly felt, and the behaviour of both camps fell short of expectations. Australia's rebirth, to some extent, has been heartening to see, and let us hope it continues through to their home World Cup in two years' time. Not all of Andy Farrell 's selections proved popular but the concept of bringing together four nations in such a way is unique, drives debate and ensures vital cultural cut-through. There is plenty of good amidst a challenging landscape – but plenty of tough questions to be answered, too.