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British and Irish Lions fans (Getty)
There are doubts about this year British and Irish lions tour to South Africa given the second wave of coronavirus infections in the host country.
South Africa is currently in a tight Level 3 version of its national lockdown, as the virus continues to sweep the country at a worrying rate, with more than 16,700 new cases and 418 coronavirus-related deaths recorded on the day of the Year alone. New.
With the second wave apparently yet to peak, the full extent of the virus’s damage or how long it will last is difficult to predict.
The British Lions, last in South Africa in 2009, will play three test matches against world champions Springboks during July and August at FNB Stadium, Cape Town Stadium and Ellis Park.
The tour begins on July 3 with five touring matches before the test series, but given where the country is currently located, there can be no guarantees that the coronavirus pandemic in South Africa will be under control by the time the tour begins.
Talking to Sport24 on Saturday, president of SA Rugby Mark Alexander confirmed that, as stated above, the tour would not be worth it if it were done behind closed doors with no spectators present.
While a vaccine has already been introduced in the UK, South Africa seems to have a way to go before it can make one easily accessible to its masses and that is an obvious problem.
“Yes, we are concerned,” Alexander said.
“The virus has already taken a lot out of rugby over the past year, but it is completely out of our control at the moment.”
Alexander said that any decision on the tour would be made by SA Rugby and the British Lions together as part of the joint venture that they have entered commercially for the tour.
Any final decision, he added, must be made no later than March.
“It happens every 12 years and it’s a very special tour for South Africans, but right now all we can do is wait and see,” he said.
The Springboks, crowned world champions on November 2, 2019, have not played a test match since then and were forced to skip last year’s Rugby Championship in Australia.
