ANALYSIS
PAUL REES WONDERS HOW THE SPORT CAN KEEP PAYING FOR ITSELF IN HARD TIMES....WHILE UNIONS BUILD FOR THE FUTURE

When the professional era started 29 years ago, it was suggested that it would lead to the demise of the Lions as old fashioned tours would no longer pay their way and clubs would not want their players to be away for so long.
Those concerns turned out to be wildly pessimistic, not least because of the travelling throng who followed the tourists to New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, ensuring that the midweek matches were not sparsely attended.
The Lions have become ...