Rugby has been a traditional English sport since its invention in 1845. A few pupils at the Rugby School broke tradition and invented new laws for the game. This sport later developed and eventually became the rugby we know today. It was popular in the home countries (England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland) but also in countries in the Southern Hemisphere. As a result of the British emigration in the 19th century, rugby was brought by the British immigrants to countries such as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. These countries have now become the major powers in international rugby and the popularity and tradition of the sport in these countries are strong.
The British and Irish Lions were formed in 1888 as a rugby team with a schedule to tour the Southern Hemisphere. Given the fact that rugby is a very popular sport in countries such as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, the Lions Tour served as a great occasion for the top players from home countries to exchange and compete with the best players from the Southern Hemisphere. It is also considered to be a great opportunity to increase the cultural interaction between the home countries and the touring countries. For example, during the Lions Tour to New Zealand in 2017, the Lions team and their supporters received a traditional Maori welcome from the local Maori tribes at the airport. Before every test match with their New Zealand opponent, they were also greeted by their opponents with a fierce Maori haka, which is a symbol of challenge but also friendship. These were all demonstrations of the cultural interaction and cohesion between the two sides.
For the British supporters at home, the Lions are a symbol of unity and brotherhood. The relationship between the United Kingdom and Ireland has historically been fragile given the fundamental differences between the two countries in religion and culture. The independence of Ireland in the 20th century and the later IRA movement created great obstacles and challenges for the development of UK-Ireland relationship. England also shares a fierce sporting rivalry with Wales and Scotland. However, the Lions have given the four countries a unique and unified identity, the countries of Lions supporters. By playing in one shirt and one team, the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish players develop great companionship and brotherhood among each other. This is the fundamental spirit of the sport of rugby, learn to trust your teammates and play as one team. The Lions are consisted of the best players from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, it gives the players and the supporters a strong sense pride when they get selected to play for the Lions. Many passionate Lion supporters also save their money for a long time and go on an official Lions Tour with their team. The 2017 Lions Tour to New Zealand attracted over 10,000 Lions supporters from the UK and Ireland to New Zealand was considered to be a great news for the tourism industry and hospitality sector of New Zealand. But the most important thing that the Lions offer the UK and Ireland is this strong sense of unity and mutual appreciation. The Lions cannot succeed without the contributions made by the Irish and British players. Every country contributes their best talents to the team, and when these players shine on the rugby pitch, they are not just shining for their countries of origin but also the Lions community in general.
The British and Irish Lions now have the tradition of touring South Africa, Australia and New Zealand every four years. It takes a twelve year cycle for the Lions to tour a Southern Hemisphere country again. The Lions will normally play three test matches with the national team of those countries and a few more matches with the local rugby clubs. The year 2021 saw great uncertainty on the highly anticipated Lions Tour to South Africa. Many spectators believed that the tour might be cancelled or moved to a different country because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, following the decisions made by the Lions management team, it was announced that the Lions Tour will go ahead, and the team will be playing three test matches with the Springboks (South African national rugby team) in Cape Town and Johannesburg. This is certainly a great news for the Lions fans and supporters from all around the world. Even if they can’t be travelling with the Lions to South Africa this time as a result of the pandemic, they will still be cheering their favourite English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish players in front of the big screens at pubs. No matter how the situation goes, their unwavering support for the Lions will never fade away. That is the real spirit of passionate rugby fans like the Lions supporters. Good luck to the Lions in this year’s South Africa Tour, live up to your tradition and always remember who you are representing.
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