Lions Tour is their dream

Danny McGee (left), Aiden Connolly and Paul Fogarty will follow the Lions in their campervan. Picture / Alan Gibson

Irishmen Danny McGee, Aiden Connolly and Paul Fogarty saved for three years to come to New Zealand for the Lions tour.

Now they're living their dream, touring the country in a campervan decked out with Irish flags and Lions signs in masking tape on the bonnet and sides.

The three saved about £4000 ($10,350) each to be here.

Mr Fogarty, 28, who works on the London Underground, said their hard-earned pounds went a long way in New Zealand but it was still possible they might run out of money. "We'll be looking for a handout soon," he joked.

The trio parked beside Lake Rotorua before the weekend for their stay in the Bay of Plenty. Now they are heading to Taranaki.

Mr Fogarty said they had drunk all the beer in their fridge, which was left with a few basics - mayonnaise, tomato sauce, milk and kiwifruit. "Got to have that."

The trio, from counties Donegal and Wicklow, have tickets to the first three games but even if they could get their hands on test tickets they doubt they could afford them.

But Mr Fogarty said he would be prepared to go to extreme lengths. "I'd bite off my arm."