I thought it was the educated, upper-class English who were union men. Men who'd been raised proper. Who'd been to the best schools and understood the importance of doing the right thing. Clearly, I was wrong.
Because educated, well-brought-up men would not renege on a promise to a group of
schoolkids and pensioners. The Lions management have decided their players are overcommitted and they've already done enough PR to win the hearts and minds of Kiwis, so they're cutting back on the meet and greets.
Which has disappointed many people in Otago and Southland, who'd been looking forward to meeting the Lions since April.
Sir Clive Woodward is absolutely unapologetic. He's blamed the cancellation fuss on one Otago Rugby board member and says the Lions have been more accessible than the All Blacks and at least the Lions tour - the New Zealand team doesn't.
The least Sir Clive could do is be honest. Front up and say he's seeing his own vainglorious ambitions in tatters unless his much-vaunted forward pack comes right, and despite the fact the Lions brought a team the size of a small West Coast mining town, precisely for the purpose of PR, everyone can get stuffed until he's restored the Lions' pride.
The management have let the players - and the public - down. Much of the magic of a Lions tour is for small-town Kiwis to meet rugby heroes from the other side of the world and for the tale of that meeting to be passed down the generations.
For planned trips to be cancelled, and for hotel guests to be told not to ask the players for autographs, is just plain rude.
The Lions are not going to win this test series, and Sir Clive seems to be doing all he can to lose the hearts of the public as well.
