The British and Irish Lions have received an invitation they must not ignore. Project ‘Beyond 2025’ is already underway as rugby’s greatest touring team plots its future beyond next year’s series in Australia.
The schedule is up for renewal. New Zealand 2029 is not yet confirmed, although talks are afoot. There is an opportunity to re-draw their flight path and the South Americans have made the first move with an invitation to join Argentina and beyond.
Sebastian Pineyrua, the president of Rugby South America, laid out his proposal. ‘A Lions tour to South America should at least be on the table because it could be good for both parties,’ he told Mail Sport.
‘The Lions against the Pumas would be a full stadium, 100%. You could fill a stadium of 85,000 people. You could play in a stadium like River Plate or La Plata. Instead of the provincial games they could play Chile, Uruguay, a South American XV.
‘You could play games at 3 o’clock here then it’s 7pm in the UK. Get everyone in the pubs, finishing work.
The British & Irish Lions have received an invitation to go on a tour of South America
There is the possibility they could face Argentina at the fabled ground of River Plate
‘At the moment, I think South America would be a better tour than going to Australia. I don’t know how many fans of Australia will follow the Wallabies now because they are not in the best moment. Here in South America, we have very nice countries, a lot of tourists, coasts, beautiful places to bring fans. Of course it’s a good idea.’
Until now, touring South America has traditionally been seen as an undercard event. A summer support act. England only visit Argentina in the summers when their best players are away with the Lions, as they will next summer.
But landscapes change. Argentina beat Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in the recent Rugby Championship and there should be more opportunities to consolidate rugby’s future within their territory.
The Lions toured Argentina three times between 1910 and 1936 but since then, their Test have been shared exclusively between the same three nations. They have created joint ventures to grow the financial pie of sponsorship, ticketing and media rights.
South America does not boast the same booming economy but a broader outlook is needed to grow the sport’s footprint. That requires more commitment than a warm-up fixture against the Pumas in Dublin, as is scheduled before the team fly to Perth next year.
‘The price of the tickets here is not the same as £100+ at Twickenham but we are open to talk,’ added Pineyrua. ‘Rugby is not sustainable at the moment so they need a good plan. There are a lot of global companies here that are also in the UK.
‘Argentina, Uruguay are very British countries in terms of how they develop. There is a lot of business crossover.
‘At the moment, they’re thinking about how they can play more games in the US to capture that market. Rugby needs money so every time something’s on the table it’s about bringing more dollars. It could be a good idea to play games in North America. too.’
The Lions’ trip to New Zealand in 2029, while being discussed, is yet to be confirmed
Argentina are beating impressive opposition and touring there could become more alluring
Fiji should also be in the conversation for a tour despite questions over their union
On performance merit, Fiji should also be in the conversation, although there are serious administrative questions at the door of their union’s offices.
Adding Argentina as a fourth nation on the quadrennial rotation has credibility and it has been endorsed by Michael Cheika, who has coached both the Pumas and the Wallabies.
‘Argentina are a big player in the southern hemisphere market now,’ said Leicester head coach Cheika. ‘They’ve earned their time. Not replacing Australia, but having them in for sure.
‘A lot of that is decided on the commercial element these days but I definitely think they merit their opportunity. South America’s a huge market place, it just depends how you attack it. There’s economic challenges down there but what they’re bringing to the world rugby picture at the moment definitely merits looking into.
‘If you look at the last World Cup, that’s the first time we had three South American teams and they held their dukes up. They weren’t easy beats. You could play all those countries and it would be like a Test match every week.
‘The midweek circuit there would not be easy. Go to play in Rosario, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Cordoba… it would be tough going. Without a doubt, it would be a great tour.’
King of the Dance
Big Joe Cokanasiga enjoyed a royal engagement with the King at St James’s Palace last week.
The Bath winger, who has roots in Fiji, was invited to a star-studded Commonwealth event and said: ‘It was a huge honour. He was very cheery and in great spirits – he even asked about Bath Rugby!’
Former Samoa and Leicester star Freddie Tuilagi enjoyed a traditional dance with King Charles
Bath winger Joe Cokanasiga also met the 75-year-old King and called it a ‘huge honour’
Former Samoa and Leicester rugby star Freddie Tuilagi was also a guest and, stripped down to the waist, engaged in a traditional island dance with the 75-year-old.
Twickenham re-sale rush
Ticket sales for the upcoming autumn internationals prove the All Blacks remain the biggest draw at Twickenham.
Despite charging £189 for a tier one ticket, the opening match against New Zealand only has single re-sale tickets remaining to purchase.
Tickets to see the All Blacks at Twickenham are selling fast despite exorbitant prices
Plenty of tickets are still available for the cheaper Tests against Australia and Japan, while and a handful remain on sale to watch England take on double world champions South Africa.
Cheika’s hotel comforts
Staff at the Welford Road hotel have become very familiar with Michael Cheika as the new Leicester coach is yet to find his own place.
During his residency at the hotel – which looks directly onto the stadium – he has been a regular at the nearby Konak restaurant on London Road.
‘I’ve not tried the local curries yet,’ said Cheika. ‘I’ve got to acclimatise my belly before I head for the spices!’
Michael Cheika is still staying in a hotel and has been a regular at a Konak restaurant
Next move? Rightmove!
Former Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan has plenty on his plate since he was ousted after last year’s World Cup.
He has been focusing on his business day jobs and was in London last week trying to negotiate a £6.2billion takeover of property website Rightmove.
Strike-threat meeting unveiled
Sale’s Fijian superstar Waisea Nayacalevu has released a three-minute video from the team’s strike-threat meeting before they played England at last year’s World Cup.
The clip shows him calling the Fijian board ‘unprofessional’ over a Zoom call, after players were repeatedly not paid on time.
Sale’s Fiji superstar Waisea Nayacalevu has shared a video of the national team’s strike threats
He is understood to be holding back a further 25 minutes of footage which could be released if a solution is not reached.
Last week, Fiji Rugby Union’s former accountant Pawan Deo and wife Subhashni Mudaliar reportedly appeared in court for dishonestly obtained money on two occasions in 2022.
