While reflecting on the year of rugby that was, naturally I thought to the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia.
The one thing that will always stand out in my mind of that tour was the battle between Israel Folau and George North. Both are some of my favourite players, and to see them both become global stars during the three-match Test series was a joy to behold.
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And in light of George Smith being able to play in both visits from the Lions, and in light of how many tours Brian O’Driscoll has been on, I got to thinking about if it’s possible the match up could be replicated in 2025.
It’s not inconceivable; North is but 21 years old and Folau 24. With proper injury and game-time management, both players could still be fit and firing the next tour.
But then it dawned on me how truly long 12 years is. Twelve whole years for the best of the British Isles to reach Australian shores.
That’s a very long gap. And with calls for Argentina to be included in Lions tours in the future, that gap could grow.
It’s not just Australia that’s affected. All of the host countries have to wait an agonising amount of time to strut their stuff.
So I’ve come up with a compromise – is it time to create a continental European equivalent?
It’s likely such a squad would currently be dominated by French players, with several Italians thrown in for good measure. But turn a few stones and other high-level European players emerge.
Andrei Ostrikov and Vasily Artemyev of Russia, who play for Sale and Northampton respectively.
Any number of the Georgian props that have become fashionable in French club sides could be handy alongside the Montpelier star Mamuka Gorgodze.
Sep Visser, brother of Scottish international Tim, who recently played for Edinburgh but represents the Netherlands at international level.
Throw in a few Romanians and a player each from Spain and Portugal, both of whom have used their 7s programs to turn rugby semi-professional in their countries and you have real talent coming through the ranks.
Such a squad could be rather competitive.
Leaving aside the profile boost the game would have in Europe’s peripheral rugby nations, this invitational team might ease some of the withdrawal symptoms Southern Hemisphere nations experience between Lions tours.
Assuming Argentina comes online as a host nation, the European team (let’s call them the “Stars”) could alternate with the Lions.
A typical tour year might see Argentina hosting neither, South Africa hosting the Lions, Australia hosting neither, and New Zealand hosting the Stars.
Four years later and it’s Argentina hosting the Stars, Australia hosting the Lions, with New Zealand and South Africa going temporarily without.
This way, host countries only ever go eight years without hosting a tour, but the two different tours will each imparts their own flavour.
Although the gap between each match-up (eg. Lions v Australia) may have increased, we may well find we don’t notice because we have the good memories of the most recent Stars tour fresh in our mind.
Would European national teams go for it?
The minnows, almost surely. Imagine the boost Spanish rugby would get if one of their players featured in a success like a Lions tour.
And bigger countries like Italy and France, potentially. Wales and England in particular used the Lions tour window to test out some second-string players, given so many of their stars were on Lions duty.
If all Six Nations sides had an even playing field like this, perhaps the FFR and FIR might take a similar approach.
TheAuk
Guest
I'm not sure if we need a "European" Lions. It would be nice to have, along with a global rugby season and clubs releasing the players for internationals but I can't see it happening any time soon. I would prefer teams go back to touring countries.
jason8
Guest
Better to have a Sanzar team and we tour The North for a couple of weeks...handing out beatings as we go. Im always up for a little seal clubbing too BTW hahaha
SandBox
Roar Guru
Even a 2/3 ABs and 1/3 WBs team would be competitive. Fielding mostly ABs would have people think 'why bother, it's just the ABs anyway'. Which raises the question of the quota system; which most people are against I agree with the ANZAC concept but with the ABs being so strong now any team fielded would be either full of ABs or be questioned because it isn't full strength from a quota system. So right now, IMO, an ANZAC team wouldn't work I also like the Euro stars on paper, and like to see it happen, but have my doubts
Richard
Guest
NO.
richard
Guest
The NZRU's job is to look after NZ interests.Considering the volume of players NZ loses every year,helping other unions (i.e the PI) is quickly becoming a burden NZ rugby can't sustain.As it is NZ still does more than anyone else,as most of those island players have come up through the NZ system,at great expense and time to NZ. The NH unions generally grab the finished product,after NZ has done all the groundwork,so there is hardly anything noble about the French clubs.
Katipo
Guest
@allblackfan. Sure. it is accidental. But it is true that the French employ hundreds of foreign rugby players and leave them eligible to represent their country. Meanwhile NZ employs hardly any. For Islanders playing rugby in France is a great alternative to playing in NZ where you get selected for a rep team once or twice, then lose your eligibility to play for your island nation for the rest of your career! Unless as an islander you grew up in NZ then France is a superior option accidental or not.
allblackfan
Guest
Katipo, tell that to the English and French-based Pacific Island players who were not released for World Cup duty. The unions are self-serving and any development work they do is more of an accidental by-product.
allblackfan
Guest
CW, not sure rugby players look for a cultural fit. If that was the case, none of the English or French clubs would have any Kiwi, Islander or African player since there is no cultural comfort. As for these clubs, they were practising their moves in English (ie lineout calls, set piece moves, backline plays) because more people in the team understood it. Look at a bloke like Rene Ranger; gone to Montpillier but how much French do you think he understands??
Chan Wee
Guest
@ allblackfan : the pertinent question would be, how many of the club coaches and the back room staff speak French or English. ? :) One reason for failure of some big names at Real Madrid was attributed to - SPANISH ! It is common for players to look for clubs with a "country / cultural contingent" when they sign up. Happens a lot in footy and I'm sure it is the case with rugger too. (for example Louis Suarez said he felt at home in Liverpool becoz the squad had Brazilians and Spaniards who speak the same language.)
allblackfan
Guest
there was a story on it last year that some squads (ie Toulon) were so full of foreigners that training sessions had to be held in a common language ie english. How many of the Kiwis, Argentines, South Africans, Islanders, Aussies, Scots, Welsh, Irish and even English can speak French? Not that many, I'm guessing. Game day is one thing; behind closed doors is another thing entirely
richard
Guest
You mustn't confuse what the unions do with that of individual clubs.The clubs are privately owned,and therefore able to buy players from anywhere.These owners only have the clubs interests at heart,they don't care for the national interest.The overall good of the sport has nothing to do with it,that's merely a by-product.
Chan Wee
Guest
LOL , that is assuming English is mother-tongue of all the Fijians, Tongans, Samoans, South Africans, Argentinians, etc. :) English is a 2nd language for them just as French is , BUT in most French matches I have seen the ref speaks French !!!
Katipo
Guest
This concept might work if the French could select a touring team from all foreign players who play pro rugby in France. Call it the "Rugby Foreign Legion". The French are the greatest investors in rugby's developing nations. Their clubs employ hundreds of players from Georgia, Argentina, Pacific Islands, Kenya and the USA not to mention plenty of aussies, saffers and kiwis. The Northern Hemisphere Unions do much more than the southern hemisphere unions in developing the emerging rugby nations by employing their players on contract. In the debate between the hemisphere's this fact is often left unstated.
allblackfan
Guest
watapity, english is increasingly becoming the language of choice at french club trainings, if not games, given all the foreigners in that competition!
DSF
Guest
doesnt matter if there is more kiwis than aussies or vice versa do you think queensland and nsw state of orgin teams pick players based on half the squad being from brisbane or sydney and the other half from the outskirts... no. Once a team like the anzacs are created aussies and kiwis will get behind the players no matter their nationality unless you're not really educated enough on the anzac history then you would look at country representation. It would be pretty awesome to have the last as our anthem before games.
Jagman
Guest
I think it would be more popular to have a barbarians team tour Aus the same time as the Lions tour NZ and put high profile ausies in the team like Giteau, Smith, Ioani, Mitchell and a whole bunch of All blacks who have left their country e.g. Ranger, Gear, Kaino (even though he's returning) and Thompson. Or just get Toulon to tour Australia. Wilkinson alone would put bumbs on seats.
watapitywereoutapaper
Guest
Like the idea... but I wonder how much the lack of a common tongue affects things. Does anyone know how it plays out at French clubs for example?
Chan Wee
Guest
there is in GOLF - RYDER CUP
jeznez
Roar Guru
if we are talking Lions style one every four years I don't think it will water things down. Certainly the British and Irish sides don't have their internal rivalries watered down due to there being BIL matches on a quadrennial basis.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Possibly but am not sure really. I know some nations have probably more of a 'European' feel about them than others. I am not anti European at all but I just like the internal European rivalries so much (and against others too) that I don't want to water it down by playing as a continent. I don't mind the odd exhibition match but maybe not a tour.