Change might be necessary to future-proof the tour, but losing the fundamental concept of the side would be wrong
A Lions fan waves a flag whilst wearing a lion mask during the 1888 Cup international match against Argentina at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland before the 2025 tour of Australia. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
On Wednesday morning I spoke to Phil Waugh, the chief executive of Rugby Australia, about the financial impact of last summer’s Lions tour on the governing body’s balance sheet.
He was understandably in a buoyant mood. Rugby Australia had prudently decided not to go down the private equity route to cope with the governing body’s post-Covid financial stress and instead opted to take out a debt facility of about £42m with the aim of paying it off, with the profits of hosting the Lions tour and the men’s and women’s World Cups in 2027 and 2029.
