Lions legend weighs in on 2021 tour debate

Former British & Irish Lions hooker Keith Wood has given his take on the Lions tour uncertainty.

The most revered touring side in the world now faces the prospect of playing the scheduled 2021 series against South Africa in the UK and Ireland for the first time in history, though nothing is, as of yet, set in stone.

Wood does not appear in favour of this possible eventuality, illustrating his point as follows:

"I am conflicted on this in that I would like to see the Lions play. I don't think that the Lions are a team to be playing at home, I think they are a touring side.

"I would have delayed it by four years because if you delay it by just one year then it causes a huge amount of additional confusion in other parts of the game. I would have just pushed the whole schedule back four years and I think that would have been the best way to do it.

"Commercial concerns could mean that the Lions would need to pay back money that they probably don't have. They only make money at this period of time, they don't hold onto huge money. If this is the next best option, or the only other option, then maybe for financial reasons it has to happen.

"For me, I would have pushed it back four years."