A British and Irish Lions tour is sold, principally, on history and mystery. Anachronistic in its very concept, the actions and anecdotes of trips of yesteryear are woven into the rich red fabric adorning the current crop, links with the century and a half of touring parties evident at every moment before, during and after each squad’s assembly. The cultural capital of the Lions is vast and trades, primarily, on that which has gone before – each trip bringing with it a chance to stir the nostalgic senses with a retrospective look. The mystery is inherent: how will a squad drawn at short notice handle the pressure of coming together to take on a big southern hemisphere beast?
Yet even the great bastions of heritage and history must eventually become forward-looking. A corporate and commercial behemoth in a sport lacking in that sort of commodity, this may be a time of great change for the British and Irish Lions as bigwigs look ahead to a future that feels more uncertain than usual.
