British & Irish Lions will come to South Africa this year

SA Rugby and the British & Irish Lions confirmed on Tuesday that they were aligned on delivering the Castle Lager Lions Series in South Africa in the scheduled playing window.

Should the schedule remain unchanged, Mbombela Stadium will on July 14, host the British & Irish Lions for the first time in history.

“After reviewing information relating to the various contingency scenarios being considered, I can confirm that the board’s intended position is for the tour to go ahead as scheduled in South Africa in 2021,” said Jason Leonard, chairperson of the Lions.

“We acknowledge a significant amount of work still needs to be undertaken to deliver a robust Covid-19 countermeasure plan to ensure a successful, safe and uninterrupted tour. SA Rugby will have our full support to help implement this plan.”

Mark Alexander, president of the South African Rugby Union, said he would inform the executive council of SA Rugby of the alignment.

“We appreciate the Lions’ faith and share their desire to see a safe and successful tour,” said Alexander.

“We have been in regular contact with our government to make that a reality against the backdrop of the pandemic and its predicted progression over the coming months.

“There are serious financial implications for SA Rugby should the event take place without any supporters in attendance, and we cannot ignore that in our considerations. But we are determined that the eventual outcome will deliver the best occasion and experience for players, supporters and our commercial partners.”

Alexander said the original tour schedule was subject to review because of those considerations. Should any changes be required, these would be communicated as soon as possible.
SA Rugby assured everyone who had purchased tickets through the ticket ballot or as part of the official hospitality programme, that they would be entitled to a full refund, with details to be communicated in due course once any revised schedule was confirmed.