NPR

Confirmed today. Lions tour of New Zealand in 2027. Three tests plus other matches tbc.

Good for the women's game, wonder if it will be financially successful?

I'm not sure about this to be honest.

I think they have a good enough product that they should be doing their own competitions rather than copying the men.

Lionesses, surely

NZ are the only traditional Lions opponents who have a team that will make the series a contest, so it makes sense to start with them from that standpoint.

I think it would struggle for commercial success at the best of times given that it's the women's game and enthusiasm about its potential seems to vastly outweigh the realities of its current popularity. The tour is also on the other side of the world (terrible timezone for Home Nations viewers) and they've scheduled it for the month before the men's RWC.

Maybe the logic was tht having it just before the 'real' action of the world cup kicks off, but while buzz around rugby is high in general and thus maybe some bleed over interest. However, I would imagine there'll be some overlap with RWC warm up tests and those will get more attention.

sockwithaticket wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 12:10 pm NZ are the only traditional Lions opponents who have a team that will make the series a contest, so it makes sense to start with them from that standpoint.

I think it would struggle for commercial success at the best of times given that it's the women's game and enthusiasm about its potential seems to vastly outweigh the realities of its current popularity. The tour is also on the other side of the world (terrible timezone for Home Nations viewers) and they've scheduled it for the month before the men's RWC.

Maybe the logic was tht having it just before the 'real' action of the world cup kicks off, but while buzz around rugby is high in general and thus maybe some bleed over interest. However, I would imagine there'll be some overlap with RWC warm up tests and those will get more attention.

Some really good points there.

Kind of fits in to my thinking, why not have a Lions series against NZ in the UK? Test in England, Scotland and Wales, an "A" game in Ireland and get a bit of a buzz going.

Slick wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 12:24 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 12:10 pm NZ are the only traditional Lions opponents who have a team that will make the series a contest, so it makes sense to start with them from that standpoint.

I think it would struggle for commercial success at the best of times given that it's the women's game and enthusiasm about its potential seems to vastly outweigh the realities of its current popularity. The tour is also on the other side of the world (terrible timezone for Home Nations viewers) and they've scheduled it for the month before the men's RWC.

Maybe the logic was tht having it just before the 'real' action of the world cup kicks off, but while buzz around rugby is high in general and thus maybe some bleed over interest. However, I would imagine there'll be some overlap with RWC warm up tests and those will get more attention.

Some really good points there.

Kind of fits in to my thinking, why not have a Lions series against NZ in the UK? Test in England, Scotland and Wales, an "A" game in Ireland and get a bit of a buzz going.

As things stand at the moment, unless there is a marked impovement in player development isn't this going to be an England squad plus a few players from the other home countries to beat NZ?
To my mind that runs against the ethos of a British and Irish representative side.

Slick wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 11:22 am I'm not sure about this to be honest.

I think they have a good enough product that they should be doing their own competitions rather than copying the men.

If the Lions didn't do it they'd be peppered with stuff about being an old school boys club.

Two of the most vocal women on women's rugby, Ali Donnelly and Fi Thomas, both seem to say it's not the right format for women, as noted above there are really no Irish/Welsh/Scottish women who'd legitimately bump an English player (and can't even think of any youngsters with promise that'll come of age in three years... though not impossible).

I don't think anyone would have accused the Lions org of being old fuddy duddies if they said they'd like to see more contenders from the other three to fulfill the spirit of a Lions Tour (and many women outside of players saying the same ... any players who say they want it, imo, reckon it'd be for reasons of personal glory, not the ethos of the organization).

In terms of giving women a much bigger spotlight that reflects the current flavour, I'd rather see a best-of-three Northern Hem vs Southern Hem series. As I said on the other site, there are a few French, Canadians, and even one or two Americans who could bump the best English players from starting / bench spots. NZ would dominate the south, but a few Fijians would put their hands up, one or two South Africans could, and a big showcase in a short window might even pull some guns out of the NRLW (which has seen in influx of former Wallaroo/Ferns 7s, but a couple of backs like Upton or Aiken could easily pull a 'Bentley').