The Lions rugby team

thelad95

Am I the only one who can genuinely say that they literally just cannot muster up any enthusiasm for this concept of a team?

A group of players thrown together from four different countries with only a few weeks to bond getting sent to the other side of the planet too play against and supposedly be competitive against the best side in the world.

Anyone who looks at my posts can see I am a rugby fan and actually go to a few Leinster games every season so I'm far from an 'armchair' supporter either, I honestly and regrettably just don't have any affinity or feeling towards the idea of throwing 'the best' players from four different nations together.

The lions is something that started deep in the amateur era of rugby when it was essentially a glorified piss up with a few friendlies thrown in. Nowadays, we're supposed to care about these test matches. To me, it's simply an outdated concept and a part of rugby (along with numerous meaningless internationals which take precedence over actual competitive games being played at the same time) that is deeply rooted in the amateur era and only really being kept alive as a PR plug for all involved stakeholders.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

You could say that about any national side for team sports such as Football or Rugby.

KERSPLAT!

It means a lot to the players going by what they say. Plenty of supports too. If you have no interest then don't watch it.

WesternZulu

I agree completely! I just don't get what the hype is at all about it. Firstly, it's a hiding to nothing because as the OP mentioned they're only together for a few weeks before meeting a top international side.

That's before getting into the concept of The Lions! The team itself has no identity, I mean how can you feel passionate about a team made up of multiple nations?
The fact that the team was called The British Lions up until 2001, and had God Save The Queen as their anthem up until the 90s, makes it even harder to identify with as an Irish supporter.

seachto7

Don't watch it?

Richard Hillman

It's a bit of fun. Serious for the players but as fans it is brilliant seeing the novelty of all of these top players having to band together and become a coherent team.

Its a shame that combined teams don't really get taken seriously in other sports. Who wouldn't love to see a European XI in football tour South America or the other way around BUT would be played with full intensity.

It's a massive money spinner for the host nation. So they have hyped up the media focus, understandably, and pretty much created an interest in it in the past decade or 2.

stimpson

I think they should use actual Lions. See how well the kiwis fare then.

riffmongous

Richard Hillman wrote: »

It's a bit of fun. Serious for the players but as fans it is brilliant seeing the novelty of all of these top players having to band together and become a coherent team.

Its a shame that combined teams don't really get taken seriously in other sports. Who wouldn't love to see a European XI in football tour South America or the other way around BUT would be played with full intensity.

I remember they tried it with cricket about 10 years ago, it was a cool idea, all the top players from the world in one team against the Aussies but no one took it seriously and it was a flop, which was a pity.

pickarooney

riffmongous wrote: »

I remember they tried it with cricket about 10 years ago, it was a cool idea, all the top players from the world in one team against the Aussies but no one took it seriously and it was a flop, which was a pity.

The West Indies is basically a permanent Caribbean Lions team.

Poor Uncle Tom

I think it's far more meaningful and identifiable now than it was in the ninetys or noughties. It's fantastic to see how these players get on as a team after only recently meeting as opponents. I'm also delighted for Peter O'Mahony and also proud that he was chosen for the job.

Will they change history with their tour? of course not, but they should provide a lot of entertainment, and allow a lot of players to grow professionally. The Lyons tour is just another dynamic to the game of rugby and only to be welcomed.

Anyone who doesn't 'get it' or who don't like, just don't watch it.

riffmongous

pickarooney wrote: »

The West Indies is basically a permanent Caribbean Lions team.

Hmm.. yes, no, well in a political sense maybe, but the islands never play independently except 'domestically', like Ireland is already a political mix of two countries, and then you have England which also includes Wales

Are Am Eye

The Lions is a very pro soft brexit concept.

Taking on their rugby-cultural-antithesis out there in the other half sphere of the planet. And losing convincingly.
As the great David Attenborough once said - 90% of Lion hunts end in failure.

The_Kew_Tour

Is it not a bit embarrassing that a total population of 3.5million can get a double score over a combined population of 70+million.

That's the worst bit:)

OldMrBrennan83

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Arghus

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Is it not a bit embarrassing that a total population of 3.5million can get a double score over a combined population of 70+million.

That's the worst bit:)

Yeah, but that 3.5 million live and breathe rugby.

RobertKK

I don't watch as I have no interest, it is a nice holiday for them with a bit of rugby.

The_Kew_Tour

Arghus wrote: »

Yeah, but that 3.5 million live and breathe rugby.

Sure this is "rugby country":P

JPCN1

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Rules a little too complex for you?

bmwguy

I am a big rugby fan I played all my life and I am watching the lions tour. Enjoying it too but I just honestly don't really care if they win or lose. It's not Ireland but I hope the Irish lads go well.

I was in Chicago in November and it was the best match I was ever at. Now, I seriously cared there who won. Didn't enjoy that match at all though it was so stressful! Just wanted it to be over.

The lions don't get me going like that at all.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Billy86

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Sure this is "rugby country":P

If you mean Ireland it's the third or biggest sport here. In NZ it's bigger than all the other sports combined, hence why they're almost routinely the best team in the world and back to back WC champions. I guess every country in the world should be embarrassed, so.




As for the Lions, it's a fun sideshow and no more for me. Overhyped but then something of that nature (like 'all star' games in American sports) will typically be.

Yourself isit

I love the lions. Hope some day to go on the tour with some English friends. The fact that we can drop ethnic loyalties is good. It's not like people supporting Leinster care about every body on the team being from Leinster or ireland. It's a club. So is the lions.

This is the best of the islands of britain and ireland against the best of the southern hemisphere.

The modern rugby fan who ignores this tradition is a bit of a johnny come lately.

fullstop

thelad95 wrote: »

Am I the only one who can genuinely say that they literally just cannot muster up any enthusiasm for this concept of a team?

A group of players thrown together from four different countries with only a few weeks to bond getting sent to the other side of the planet too play against and supposedly be competitive against the best side in the world.

Anyone who looks at my posts can see I am a rugby fan and actually go to a few Leinster games every season so I'm far from an 'armchair' supporter either, I honestly and regrettably just don't have any affinity or feeling towards the idea of throwing 'the best' players from four different nations together.

The lions is something that started deep in the amateur era of rugby when it was essentially a glorified piss up with a few friendlies thrown in. Nowadays, we're supposed to care about these test matches. To me, it's simply an outdated concept and a part of rugby (along with numerous meaningless internationals which take precedence over actual competitive games being played at the same time) that is deeply rooted in the amateur era and only really being kept alive as a PR plug for all involved stakeholders.

Yeah it's a load of bollix to be fair, they have no chance of winning a series against the AB's. And people who make reference to the fans and how much it means to them...the vast majority are there for a piss up. Someone I know has been at less than a handful of rugby matches before and has paid nearly a grand for a ticket to the third test...which will probably be a dead rubber.

Junkyard Tom

I'd have a lot less interest in it than Munster's Pro12 and ERC Cup games (and the other provinces) or Ireland games. I was a bit disappointed when Johnny Sexton was picked because I think he's too valuable an asset to the Irish team to be risking injury for a bit of nothing competition.

The_Kew_Tour

Billy86 wrote: »

If you mean Ireland it's the third or biggest sport here. In NZ it's bigger than all the other sports combined, hence why they're almost routinely the best team in the world and back to back WC champions. I guess every country in the world should be embarrassed, so.

.

Well the Countries who play rugby at competive level should.

And NZ are very good at many sports. You only have look how well they do in Olympics. Too many excuses.

Junkyard Tom

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Is it not a bit embarrassing that ....

That whole population thing is rather silly. China should win all competitions in all disciplines of sports if it the numbers game had any sort of 'logic'.

The_Kew_Tour

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

That whole population thing is rather silly. China should win all competitions in all disciplines of sports if it the numbers game had any sort of 'logic'.

Well they do well in many sports.

It depends on other factors of course. I was not being so black and white.

pauliebdub

It's meant to be the biggest honour for a British and Irish player to be picked for the Lions, bigger than the world cup or six nation's. I follow rugby but can't muster up any enthusiasm for the games either, the fact that they are only televised at 8 am on sky sports doesn't really help.

tastyt

what i think is funny is the sky sports add

it shows a maouri with face paint on and goes " being an all black is in their blood"

then it shows an actual lion and says " being a lion is in ours "

Am no, its definitely not. Their is not 1 lion in any of our countries that isn't locked up in some zoo after being flown in from Africa where it is actually part of their culture.

seachto7

riffmongous wrote: »

Hmm.. yes, no, well in a political sense maybe, but the islands never play independently except 'domestically', like Ireland is already a political mix of two countries, and then you have England which also includes Wales

Eh? England includes Wales?

OldMrBrennan83

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Beasty

I'm guessing "we" lost today....

castletownman

tastyt wrote: »

what i think is funny is the sky sports add

it shows a maouri with face paint on and goes " being an all black is in their blood"

then it shows an actual lion and says " being a lion is in ours "

Am no, its definitely not. Their is not 1 lion in any of our countries that isn't locked up in some zoo after being flown in from Africa where it is actually part of their culture.

One is an ancient culture. The other is a large African cat.

But then again it's not too surprising. Sure the colonists were used to imposing their own thoughts of culture on the locals when they were spreading the game all over the world

Billy86

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Well the Countries who play rugby at competive level should.

And NZ are very good at many sports. You only have look how well they do in Olympics. Too many excuses.

By that token, the USA, China and Nigeria should be embarrassed over not winning the WC in football.

The men had 6 medals at the last Olympics - good sure, two in athletics, on in cycling, and three in sailing/rowing. Are you trying to say that they take those sports anywhere even remotely as serious as rugby? It would be like saying Ireland are big into rowing because of the O'Donovan brothers' success.

castletownman

castletownman wrote: »

One is an ancient culture. The other is a large African cat.

But then again it's not too surprising. Sure the colonists were used to imposing their own thoughts of culture on the locals when they were spreading the game all over the world

And an African cat that has relevance to British symbols, the lion rampant being a feature of British heraldry, but no relevance to Ireland at all. Then again, it was only in this century that we were acknowledged in the team name.

osarusan

I've never really understood the point of it.

A team put together from 4 nations, then plays against 1 nation. I mean, even if the Lions win...so what? With the exception of NZ, most of the 4 teams would put up a decent effort by themselves.

I'd be more interested in a game between a 6 Nations representative team against a Rugby Championship representative team.

The_Kew_Tour

Billy86 wrote: »

By that token, the USA, China and Nigeria should be embarrassed over not winning the WC in football.

The men had 6 medals at the last Olympics - good sure, two in athletics, on in cycling, and three in sailing/rowing. Are you trying to say that they take those sports anywhere even remotely as serious as rugby? It would be like saying Ireland are big into rowing because of the O'Donovan brothers' success.

Those 3 countries are very successful in other sports. Nigeria are one of best teams in Africa. Great Success there.

Its not like money is not been pumped into rugby in Ireland or England.

England have at least won a WC

Duckworth_Luas

A South African journalist christianed the touring team from these islands "The Lions" and it stuck.

Duckworth_Luas

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

A South African journalist christianed the touring team from these islands "The Lions" and it stuck.

But because they wore that British colonial symbol on their ties. The Lion means feck all to Ireland, it was adopted by the British as they expanded their empire from medieval times.

Billy86

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Those 3 countries are very successful in other sports. Nigeria are one of best teams in Africa. Great Success there.

Its not like money is not been pumped into rugby in Ireland or England.

England have at least won a WC

But they're huge countries that play football at a competitive level (two with leagues attracting big stars with lots of money being pumped in) that have not won a WC, so they should be embarrassed by that criteria.

England did win a WC... over half a century ago. Meanwhile a country with less than 20% of their population are the reigning European champions.

Beasty

The USA won a bronze medal in the World Cup




(albeit 87 years ago)

Yamanoto

The_Kew_Tour's trolled most every Rugby thread that's ever shown up in AH.

Junkyard Tom

osarusan wrote: »

I'd be more interested in a game between a 6 Nations representative team against a Rugby Championship representative team.

That does sound rather intriguing. 🤔

indioblack

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Well they do well in many sports.

It depends on other factors of course. I was not being so black and white.

Or even All Black?

Burial.

I enjoy it simply because it usually results in New Zealand or whoever putting on an absolute clinic. I still rewatch the game in 2005 from to time where Carter put on the best individual display I've ever seen on a rugby pitch.

Billy86

Beasty wrote: »

The USA won a bronze medal in the World Cup




(albeit 87 years ago)

When a country of just 3.5mn people won the whole thing, they should be embarrassed.

Beasty

Billy86 wrote: »

When a country of just 3.5mn people won the whole thing, they should be embarrassed.

You know you are talking about the team that managed to win it again in Brazil 20 years later?

EDIT - Oh and New Zealand's population is only 4.7m:P:P

OldMrBrennan83

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Billy86

Beasty wrote: »

You know you are talking about the team that managed to win it again in Brazil 20 years later?

EDIT - Oh and New Zealand's population is only 4.7m:P:P

Yeah, was referring to another poster scoffing about NZ being only 3.5mn on the first page.

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Is it not a bit embarrassing that a total population of 3.5million can get a double score over a combined population of 70+million.

Arcade_Tryer

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

A South African journalist christianed the touring team from these islands "The Lions" and it stuck.

They should be rechristened "The Cubs" after their recent performances.