Lions demand Wallaby stars turn out for tour games

Western Force v British and Irish LionsDate: Saturday, 28 June Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth Time: 11:00 BST
The British and Irish Lions have warned Australia the Wallabies' superstars must appear for their Super Rugby sides in the tourists' pre-Test series matches. The Lions will take on Western Force in their first match on Australian soil on Saturday, with five Wallabies - Nick Champion de Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White - released to the Perth-based side for the match.However, their club team-mates Carlo Tizzano and Ben Donaldson are among those who have been retained by Australia head coach Joe Schmidt."We'll see a competitive fixture at the weekend and that's what we're looking for," said Lions chief executive Ben Calveley. "We want to make sure our guys are battle-hardened when it comes to the Test series."The agreement is very clear - it says that Test players have to be released to play in fixtures leading into that series. That is our expectation."We'll play the game at the weekend and will carry on having discussions with [Rugby Australia chief executive] Phil Waugh and take it step by step."It's really important that these games are competitive. It's not just from a performance standpoint, but it's also right for the fans, partners and broadcasters who are all expecting competitive fixtures."Schmidt has been keen to protect his star players from injury by keeping them in camp and out of their club sides, but may now be persuaded to relax that stance.The Lions play fixtures against the Queensland Reds, ACT Brumbies and NWS Waratahs before taking on Australia in the first Test in Brisbane on 19 July.The Lions match against Waratahs is on the same weekend as Australia's solitary warm-up match against Fiji, meaning the likes of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou are only likely to get first sight of the Lions in the three-Test series.
The Lions' final match before the series starts is against an invitational side featuring Australian and New Zealand players in Adelaide.However, while Les Kiss - who will succeed Schmidt as Australia head coach in July 2026 - has been named as the team's head coach, he still doesn't have any players publicly committed to play in the match.New Zealand fly-half Richie Mo'unga, who is ineligible for the All Blacks while fulfilling a lucrative contract in Japanese club rugby, had been lined up as a headline act but is out of contention with a broken hand.Former Australia captain Michael Hooper has also ruled out coming out of retirement for the match.Four years ago, Covid restrictions prevented Springbok players turning out for their club side in the build-up to their Test series, but Rieko Ioane, Sonny Bill Williams, Sam Whitelock and Jordie Barrett all played in warm-ups against the Lions on the 2017 tour of New Zealand.
'What's not to like?'
Calveley also admitted adding to the Lions' usual roster of destinations held appeal. Currently the Lions tour ever four years, alternating between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. However, their first women's side will travel to New Zealand in 2027 and Calveley says there is appetite for further innovation around the team's schedule. The strength of France's national and club sides, the popularity of the sport among the French public and the relative affordability of following the tour for Lions fans have seen it flagged as a future option. "We remain open to having discussions about what the future for the Lions may hold, but those conversations are for another time," Calveley said. "You can certainly understand why people will get excited about that sort of concept [a series in France]. "What's not to like about some of those wonderful clubs you could play against and some of those wonderful venues in the summertime as well? "I've seen the feedback over the last couple of weeks from various people … and it was enormously positive. But we're focused now on this tour."

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