British and Irish Lions: How did it begin?

The British and Irish Lions were created by three former cricketers – Alfred Shaw, Arthur Shrewsbury and James Lillywhite.

The team first toured in 1888, though the name ‘Lions’ did not originate until 1924 and was not adopted formally until 1950.

The idea was to bring together the best rugby players from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland for tours and to compete against international teams.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) was approached to officially sanction the 1888 tour but declined.

That first squad was predominantly English players but also included four Scots, a Welshman and an Irishman.

They were on tour for 249 days – playing in New Zealand and Australia – and won 27 of the 35 games they played.

Three years later, a tour of South Africa received full backing from the RFU, becoming the first official international Test series.

A place in the squad was described as the “supreme prize” by Willie John McBride, who is the Lions’ most-capped player.

“To be one of the best 30 players in the four countries and, hopefully, to be one of the best 15 and playing in the Test team, is still the ultimate challenge,” he said.

This year, the Lions – a name initially adopted because of the lion emblem on the players’ ties – will tour Australia.