British and Irish Lions
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The British and Irish Lions (formerly British Isles and then the British Lions) are a Rugby Union side comprising the pick of the best players from the four Home nation unions, i.e. England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
The Lions are exclusively a touring team, and play the traditionally strong southern hemisphere teams of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
In a break with tradition, a first 'home' fixture against Argentina was played at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on May 23, 2005, before the Lions went to New Zealand. The Lions scraped a 25 all draw following an injury time penalty by Jonny Wilkinson.
Playing for the Lions is considered the highest honour in the game for British and Irish players, higher even than playing for your country. It is also a huge occasion for those who play against the Lions since they only get one chance to play against them every twelve years.
On tour there are midweek games against local provinces or clubs as well as the full tests against the host's national team. There is always tension between those selected for the tests and those who turn out only for the midweek games.
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Name
The team was originally known as the 'British Isles', this being the term often used for the archipelago of which Great Britain and Ireland form a part. On the 1950 tour of Australia they adopted the name the 'British Lions' after the lion emblem on their jerseys. In recent years they have been known as the 'British and Irish Lions' out of respect for the players from the independent country of the Republic of Ireland; some criticised this change as unnecessary political correctness. The team are often called simply the 'Lions'.
Song
As the Lions do not represent a nation state, they did not have a national anthem. However "The Power of Four" was specially commissioned by coach Sir Clive Woodward for the 2005 tour to New Zealand. It was composed by Neil Myers, and was first performed by Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins before the Lions' match against Argentina at the Millennium Stadium in 2005.
"From the four corners of our lands
We're united, hand in hand
Together
We're stronger
We join and proud we stand
Now the day has come, we are one
Standing tall for our Lions call
We're stronger
Together
We are the power of four"
History
Combined British & Irish teams had been heading for the southern hemisphere since 1888 but the first tour selected by a committee from all four Home Unions, was to South Africa in 1910.
The first tour was a commercial venture made without official backing, but the six subsequent visits that took place prior to 1910 enjoyed a growing degree of support from the authorities, although only one of these included representatives of all four nations.
The Lions name was coined during the inter-war period, when the emblem on the players' jersey and lapel badges gave them their alternative title.
The 1950s proved a golden age for Lions rugby, although it was not until the 1970s that style was matched with the substance of victory in New Zealand and South Africa.
Many observers questioned whether the Lions had a future in the age of professionalism and the Rugby World Cup. But the tours of 1997 and 2001 proved among the most popular of all, and 2005 promises to be an even bigger event again.
Postwar tours and captains
- 1950 Australia & New Zealand (Karl Mullen - Ireland)
- 1955 South Africa (Robin Thompson - Ireland)
- 1959 Australia & New Zealand (Ronnie Dawson - Ireland)
- 1962 South Africa (Arthur Smith - Scotland)
- 1966 Australia & New Zealand (Mike Campbell-Lamerton - Scotland)
- 1968 South Africa (Tom Kiernan - Ireland)
- 1971 New Zealand (John Dawes - Wales)
- 1974 South Africa (Willie John McBride - Ireland)
- 1977 New Zealand (Phil Bennett - Wales)
- 1980 South Africa (Bill Beaumont - England)
- 1983 New Zealand (Ciaran Fitzgerald - Ireland)
- 1989 Australia (Finlay Calder - Scotland)
- 1993 New Zealand (Gavin Hastings - Scotland)
- 1997 South Africa (Martin Johnson - England)
- 2001 Australia (Martin Johnson - England)
- 2005 New Zealand (Brian O'Driscoll - Ireland)
Head Coaches
- 1993 - Ian McGeechan - Scotland
- 1997 - Ian McGeechan - Scotland
- 2001 - Graham Henry - New Zealand
- 2005 - Sir Clive Woodward - England
Other famous Lions
- Gary Armstrong
- Gordon Brown - Broon frae Troon (http://sport.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=736&id=107542003)
- Sandy Carmichael
- Craig Chalmers
- Phil Davies
- Mick Doyle
- Gareth Edwards
- Scott Gibbs
- Mike Gibson
- Jeremy Guscott
- Scott Hastings
- Rob Howley
- Andy Irvine
- David Irwin
- John Jeffrey
- Barry John
- Jack Kyle
- Roy Laidlaw
- Ian McLauchlan
- Malcolm O'Kelly
- Tony O'Reilly
- Dean Richards
- Trevor Ringland
- David Sole
- Gregor Townsend
- Rory Underwood
- Doddie Weir
- Jonny Wilkinson
- JPR Williams
- Bobby Windsor
- Keith Wood
See also
External links
- Official Lions website (http://www.lionsrugby.com/)
- Official Lions 2005 tour website (http://www.lions-tour.com/)
- British Lions Tour Schedule (http://www.rugbystore.co.nz/british-lions.html)
- Fan site (http://www.britishlions.com/)
- the battle of Boet Erasmus (http://www.sardisroad.freeserve.co.uk/lions_1974_3.htm) Sunday Times May 20 2001
- Lions Den Message Board (http://www.sportnetwork.net/boards/list/s245?f=764)fr:Équipe des Lions britanniques et irlandais de rugby à XV