'There is no agreement to release English players for the fixture against Japan'
British and Irish Lions managing director Ben Calveley will continue an “open dialogue” with Premiership Rugby over the possible release of players for the friendly against Japan at Murrayfield next summer. On Wednesday morning, it was announced the Lions will play Japan at Murrayfield a curtain-raiser Test match ahead of the 2021 series against the Springboks.
The confirmed June 26 date is the same day as next season’s Gallagher Premiership final, but will be scheduled at a different kick-off time, and is a week before the Lions tour opener in Cape Town.
Given the Japan game falls outside of World Rugby’s regulation nine international window for Test matches, Premiership Rugby are not mandated to release players to head coach Warren Gatland’s squad for the fixture.
The scenario is nothing new, having been the situation for more than ten years, with clubs making it Premiership Rugby board policy not to release players outside of the requirements of regulation nine. Lions boss Calveley accepts it is a delicate situation, especially given the concerns over player burnout and fatigue ahead of embarking on such a prestigious tour, but one on which he feels a compromise can be brokered with the Premiership.
“Premiership Rugby have already announced a fixture list for next year and we don’t anticipate that changing, but we have been in dialogue with PRL for a long time about this (Japan) match – for the best part of twelve months or so,” Calveley said.
? “For the players, I know how excited they’re going to be to be wearing that jersey for the first time”#SA2021 Head Coach Warren Gatland gives his thoughts on the historic Home Game against @JRFURugby#ManeEvent #HomeTogether pic.twitter.com/1YyrdEiWRq
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) October 21, 2020
“Obviously we have taken this match up to Scotland and we will be at a different kick-off time to the Premiership final and we absolutely accept that this is not a regulation nine fixture, so there is no obligation for the clubs to release any of their players.
“The position right now is that there is no sanctioning of English players to play in this fixture, but we would be keen to keep that dialogue open and we would be hopeful that position might change.
“It is a wonderful opportunity for players, not just to play in that fixture, but also to put their hand up and start to impress Warren and his coaching team in advance of the tour of South Africa.
“Our understanding is that, as it stands, there is no agreement to release English players for the fixture against Japan. We don’t have that agreement from Premiership Rugby. They have not confirmed that players will be released for this fixture and that relates to all of the English clubs.”
There is also no agreement on the release of any potential Lions players from French clubs, which adds another layer to the negotiations. “We are open to continuing dialogue, but at the moment, given this is a non-regulation nine fixture, we understand that and respect their position,” Calveley said.
“But we would, of course, be hopeful those players not playing in the (Premiership) final would be available to play in this match, although that would require a change to the position as it currently stands.”
Given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic had on decimating the 2020 sporting calendar across the globe and the knock-on impact into next year, Calveley accepts there was never going to be a perfect solution – but rejected suggestions the Lions were now in a weakened position.
“My view is that the Lions is going from strength to strength,” he said. “We have added a fixture to the schedule here, from eight to nine. The reality is the Lions is a very special event. In fact, it is unique, not just in rugby but in sporting terms.
“It is the absolute pinnacle for the players and the fans love it more than any other sporting property in the UK and Ireland. The game absolutely understands too that it benefits from Lions tours, given that the Lions has the ability to attract the casual fan, not just the hardcore fan, in a way that certain other rugby properties aren’t able to.
“I actually feel as though the Lions is on the up. The game understands that it needs to protect these blockbuster events.”
Calveley maintains a positive outlook that fans will be in the sold-out South African stadiums next summer, with the ticket-only ballot “oversubscribed incredibly heavily”. He said: “All of the numbers suggest that not only is the interest there, but people are intending to travel in their droves.
“There is a real determination within the South African authorities, public and rugby, to make sure that the tour can go ahead.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
A distinct discomfort with the officiating they were probably selected from the local IRA narcos branch along with the commentators bloody fly tippers.
1 Go to commentsWow, never thought I would read that
1 Go to commentsExcellent match. Great to see Keenan and Ryan back for Leinster. Super result for Ulster. Season is turning around.
1 Go to comments“We need eight or nine new players, who are hard-wearing and durable and experienced Premiership performers”. So why are they scouting a retired fullback who himself admits that his “body is broken”?
1 Go to commentsBrumbies hand, knocked a Crusaders hand. Therefore, knock on in goal. Crusaders, goal line drop out should’ve been awarded. most likely after that 24 each at full time, so extra time would’ve been the right an entertaining outcome. Act Jim
1 Go to commentsSpeell cehck
1 Go to commentsColeman is gaawwwwnnn.
1 Go to commentsnext SA head coach?
3 Go to commentsGreat try by van Poortvliet.
1 Go to commentsThey have been cruelled by injuries but almost nobody (Sevu Reece and Fletcher Newell big exceptions) has played above himself which regularly happened before. Surely Scott Robertson had maintained the recruitment programme and it looks like a reasonable squad. Last in this competition will stall a lot of careers. Penny seems likeable. But it’s not enough even though this was better. We haven’t been good enough and it’s not helped by the “it’s been 15 years since… “etc “after nearly every match. Seems somehow a soft gifting of something once valuable. Kieran Read giving comments last week almost choked describing the easy surrender of possession by the forwards. I’d love to think that the senior players some of whom are back can show enough pride in the jersey to test the Blues next week.
3 Go to commentsWho will Joe select for the back three with so many in form candidates? Just hope he doesn’t get shafted like Dave Rennie and to a lesser extent Deans.
6 Go to commentsAlways reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
3 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
6 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
5 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
5 Go to comments