Welsh MP: 'Scrap the British Lions'
Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:24
Welsh Member of Parliament Adam Price has called for the scrapping of the British and Irish Lions in favour of a combined European team.
Plaid Cymru MP Price played the political card in his controversial statement, saying that the Lions were historically linked to England's imperial past, and that the connotations were still there.
For that reason, Price continued, it was important that Wales needed to look ahead to a European future.
"What I'm suggesting is a sort of Ryder Cup for rugby, where Europe would play a series against a Southern Hemisphere XV home and away every two years," he told the Western Mail.
"I realise it won't go down well with the men in blazers, but I think such matches could provide a lot of interest.
"I have to confess that my motivation for this is half sporting, half identity-politics.
"For me, it's difficult to identify fully with a Lions side which even with the name change in 2001 [from British Lions to British and Irish Lions] is something of a throwback to a bygone imperial age," he wrote on his blog.
"Sport trumps politics, of course, even for Welsh nationalists - Carwyn James coached the Lions a year after standing for Plaid in Llanelli. For many rugby internationals, being selected for the Lions is not some badge of identity but an accolade of sporting excellence.
"But the world has changed - and rugby with it. The expansion of the Five Nations into Six in the last decade, the success of the Heineken Cup and the experience of the likes of Gareth Thomas and Stephen Jones in France have turned rugby from being an essentially British phenomenon to an important part of European sporting identity that deserves to be lionised through its own continent-wide team.
"The idea is not a new one: ad hoc European XVs have existed from time to time, but the idea has never been given permanent expression. With Wales providing the home ground and possibly captain for the next Ryder Cup, then why not innovate further and initiate a new tradition on Welsh turf - another European team, again captained by a Welshman, taking on a team from the Southern hemisphere?" the MP wrote.
The British and Irish Lions are of course steeped in tradition, and have been touring in many forms as a combined team from the British Isles since 1888.
The Lions typically tour every four years, and their next tour will be to South Africa in 2009.
Former Wales and Lions superstar Gareth Edwards slammed the move, and said that the scrapping of the Lions would constitute the loss of a great rugby tradition.
"I wouldn't want to knock the idea of a Europe team and I can see that it would be very attractive to rugby fans. But I'm sure players would be very concerned about anything that would add to their burdens.
"I wouldn't want anything to end the British Lions.
"As a player, it's the pinnacle of your career to be picked for the Lions and there is great prestige to it. The reason for that is the history and tradition that comes before.
"There's history and tradition behind the Lions, and there's history and tradition behind the Ryder Cup. They should both be preserved."
Rugby historian Greg Thomas, co-author of the official History of the British and Irish Lions, also added his voice to the discussion, saying that he was very much in favour of retaining the status quo.
"I believe the concept [proposed by Price] while seeming creditable has many flaws," said Thomas.
"The international rugby calendar is very hectic already.
"The Rugby World Cup occurs every four years and is the game's major rugby event and having an event such as suggested on a two-year cycle simply would not work.
"The Lions tour fits in nicely to the rugby calendar as it takes place two years before the World Cup. The Lions are an established and significant brand and a huge part of rugby's history. Changing it would be detrimental to the game.
"The brand is so important and popular the three southern Unions - Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - rotate the tour and there is a calendar in place for the next two tours."
