28 February 2023 , 17:11
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The British and Irish Lions have opened the door to potentially organising a first ever women's tour, 130 years on from the men's team's maiden outing.
The Lions have been a staple in rugby union, not just across Great Britain and Ireland but the whole world. With 130 years of history, the men's squad has competed against some of the best team's in the sport's long history, enjoying some famous results on foreign soil.
And the chance for female players to finally wear the famous badge seems to be growing ever closer, after a recent study into organising the proposal returned positive results.
A women's tour has been in the pipeline for some time, and the powers that be within the Lions setup have since conducted lengthy research into making the idea possible. The recent study delved into women's rugby and looked at brand, commercial, financial, spectator, logistical and scheduling aspects of setting up the tour.
Stating the findings from the investigation were 'positive', a statement from the British and Irish Lions read: "We are pleased to announce that a feasibility study into the possibility of holding a Lions women’s tour has been completed with positive initial findings.
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A 13-member group conducted the study, and included Lions chief executive, Ben Calveley, former Lions and Wales wing Ieuan Evans and World Rugby’s high performance manager Nicky Ponsford, amongst others. Calvely said: "It is extremely positive that a British and Irish Lions women’s tour is possible in the future.
Shaunagh Brown hopes the women's team is launched (The RFU Collection via Getty Images)“While there is much to be considered, we are committed to taking the findings of this feasibility study and working closely with our unions, as well as other stakeholders in the coming months. I would like to thank World Rugby and our four unions from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales for their ongoing support.
“There has been a strong level of collaboration since the beginning of this process, and we are all united behind exploring this project fully.”
One player who could well be involved with the tour is England star Shaunagh Brown, and she too has high hopes.
"Why wouldn’t we want a Lions tour for women?” Brown told the PA news agency. “In the men’s game, it is the ultimate honour... Every project has to start somewhere. If and when a Lions women’s tour happens, all players have strong potential of being professional. We will be a force to be reckoned with.”
Ieuan Evans chaired group that conducted the study (PA)The group's chair Evans also gave an encouraging update, commenting: "We are really encouraged by the initial findings of this feasibility study.
We know there is significant support for the concept of creating a Lions women’s team, and this is an important step along the way to exploring how that can be made a reality.Great progress has been made to this point, and a lot of work remains to be done.”