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Hello, my name is Pat and I used to watch rugby union. It was a long time ago, but with this new strand of substance flowing in from Britain, the British and Irish Lions, I feel like I may be about to relapse.
I fell out of love with the union code a long time ago, beginning a lustful romance with its saucier sibling league, which I’ve mainly chosen to scribe about on The Roar thus far.
A bit later in life I began an affair with cricket as well, but rugby union has not been on my radar for a long time, apart from a quadrennial rendezvous known as the World Cup.
But now, my interest has once again been piqued. The Lions tour appears to be a unique event in modern sport. In an era of instant and constant satisfaction for the Generation Y masses, the Lions tour has remained unaffected by such cultural impatience, maintaining the grand allure of a once-every-twelve-years occasion.
Likewise, to maintain an old-fashioned ‘tour’, with the Lions competing against not only the Wallabies but domestic Super Rugby clubs and even a combined country side, is another reason to take an interest in this tour.
Most other tours have been cut-down from their Lions-style origins and are a simple Test match affair, but not this one.
One day cricket is being squeezed and pressurised by the money that can be made in T20 matches, but the Lions tour has not been abbreviated by such afflictions.
It is also a rare event where the players from four nations can be combined in an organic and exciting way.
A combined New Zealand, Australia and South Africa side simply would not have the same grandeur and intrigue as the British and Irish Lions. A historic side which only gathers once every four years to test the best teams in the world, a true ‘Dream Team’ of the best the British Isles can gather.
After a long time between drinks, this British and Irish Lions tour has made this former fan like it’s time to see exactly what rugby union is up too these days.
The intrigue of the tour will not be able to override my undying passion to witnessing the Blues smash those smug Canetoads, but after Wednesday night I will slightly avert my gaze and watch tentatively to see if this tour can draw me into a full blown relapse which it is very likely threatening to do.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.