Ben Earl’s unambiguous backing shows how the tourists’ future could work even in a new world of rebel leagues
T
he average worker bee, in the busiest months of the year, generally lives for up to seven weeks. Talk about a short and sweet existence. It is not dissimilar with British & Irish Lions tours. One moment players are winning a major series, the next their team abruptly ceases to exist. That’s all, folks, unless you can make the next trip in four years.
That is a lifetime for many professional athletes, particularly those who routinely operate on a week-to-week basis and are about to enjoy a long-awaited summer break. So you would expect someone like England’s Ben Earl to roll his eyes and change the subject when asked if he would like to be involved in the scheduled next men’s tour to New Zealand in 2029.
Instead, the 27-year-old flanker sounded as if he would happily jump on a plane to Auckland tomorrow morning if asked. “If someone said to me I could go on the next one, I’d do anything. Everyone talks about the aura around the badge, the honour … it has not been lost on me or anyone else. I’ve seen people potentially play their last game in the shirt and what it means. I’d do anything to play for the Lions one last time.”
