Lions set for biggest pay-day in their history

The Lions stand to make as much as £80,000-a-man in New Zealand next year if they beat the All Blacks for the first time since 1971.
They will be the highest paid Lions squad of the professional era irrespective of the three Test matches and the collective bonus for winning the series, a feat achieved only once in more than 100 years. The All Blacks issued another reminder yesterday that the challenge next year will be as daunting an ever, sweeping Argentina away on a torrent of eight tries for a 13th straight win.
As proof that there’s no business like Lions’ business, fees have more than doubled since the last expedition to New Zealand under Sir Clive Woodward in 2005 when the tourists suffered a catastrophic beating in all three Tests.
The Lions paid their players £22,000-a-man for that trip. Since then the tour fee has soared and kept on soaring – to £38,000 in South Africa in 2009, then £50,000 in Australia three years ago, an increase of 30 per cent.
A similar hike would take the flat fee next year to £65,000. It may not climb that high given the need to strike a balance between the basic amount and the bonus for emulating the achievement of the ’71 team captained by John Dawes and coached by the late Carwyn James.
In Australia in 2013, the Lions would have hit a jackpot of more than £2m had they won all ten matches.     For the toughest tour of all next year, against the World Cup holders and all five Super Rugby franchises, bonus payments will almost certainly be restricted to the three Tests.
They will be worth another £20,000-per-player at least, raising the potential reward towards £80,000 if not more for what has always been the ultimate challenge. Negotiations will open soon between Lions’ chief executive John Feehan and the players’ union headed by former England centre Damian Hopley.
Fran Cotton, the only Englishman to feature on winning Lions tours as player and manager, spoke out in The Rugby Paper last week against the ‘crazy’ schedule of a tour starting seven days after the end of the domestic season.
“I think the Lions share Fran’s frustrations as far as the schedule is concerned,” said tour manager John Spencer. “We have what we have. We have to make do with it.
“The Lions is such a huge brand, so important to those who represent the Lions and so important to the opposition that players delay retirement so they can play against the Lions.
“It needs to be given a schedule which allows for a good period of preparation.
“I hope the Lions tour will be taken into consideration in discussions over the global season.”
PETER JACKSON