Soulless British and Irish Lions now just a marketing exercise
A record number of lucrative tour packages were snapped up by the travelling supporters ahead of this tour. The 'Red Army' has never had so many recruits. Plenty of big-money sponsors, including commercial airlines and insurance giants, have been on board for quite some time.
Indeed, the 'official' title of this campaign is the Qatar Airways Lions Men's Tour to Australia 2025. The three Tests at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, the MCG in Melbourne and Accor Stadium in Sydney have long been sold out. Those tickets came at a premium, too. A record number of lucrative tour packages were snapped up by the travelling supporters ahead of this tour. Pic:The Lions is big money, for the hosts and the four unions which provide the coaches, players and support staff. All the people in the boardroom will be delighted with how this Lions series played out.
Has it gone too far? The misty-eyed days of the amateur era are long past, and rugby is now a business. Funding a fully professional rugby tour spanning the best part of six weeks isn't cheap either.
That's the reality of the modern game. But is it just us, or does the whole Lions concept now feel a tad corporate? Whatever happens in the looming Test series against the Wallabies, this British and Irish Lions has been a massive success. Well, commercially anyway. Pic:We keep hearing about how 'epic' these tours are and how it is the 'pinnacle' for every coach and player to be a part of them, how these tours are 'unmissable' for the fans. Really? This series hasn't exactly stirred the soul in recent weeks.
Maybe it's the tourists struggling to hit top gear, the mediocre midweek opposition or the suspicion that the Wallabies – despite having Joe Schmidt on board – are no great shakes at present, but this whole series has felt a bit flat.
As long as the Lions remain profitable, it is here to stay. As long as the Lions remain profitable, it is here to stay. Pic: Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images
You would wonder how the players genuinely feel about the whole concept, however. Being a pro is a bit of a grind these days. Between club and country commitments, the modern player doesn't get much of a breather. It's a big reason why the Lions tours are now so condensed.
Gone are the days when the visitors would spend a proper stint in the country they're touring, taking in plenty of games against local opposition, mixing with the locals, making memories and getting a real sense of the place.
The entire Lions squad sound a bit weary at the moment, given their exhaustive travel schedule, taking in stops in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra and Adelaide in the space of 15 days.
Judging from the dispatches from Australia in recent days, Farrell, his coaches and the players all sound a bit weary. And it's showing on the pitch. Yesterday was better, but it was against a thrown-together side.
Yes, the Lions have never been more lucrative, but they have sold their souls in the process. The money is flying in, but the sense of wonder drained away long ago.
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'The performance against the First Nations on the Tuesday, that's a showing for everyone else to make sure that they're showing the rest of their team-mates that they're up for the challenge as far as the series are concerned and that keeps everyone hungry for games two and three because obviously the same in game two happens again in regards to the first Test.
