I AM always fascinated by the furore that now precedes Lions tours and I always come back to the all-pervading influence professionalism has had on rugby.
If those who believed professionalism could sit comfortably alongside the traditions of the amateur game had paused to more deeply consider the ramifications of such a transition then perhaps we would not be in the unedifying mess we all find ourselves in now.
The “Heinz 57” (aka the RFU) were chief among those who failed to appreciate the impact of professionalism and have subsequently failed to look after the wider inte...