Alice Soper: Why British and Irish Lions wouldn’t work in women’s game

England's Marlie Packer celebrates a try during the Rugby World Cup. Photo / Photosport

OPINION:

A two-year feasibility study published last week has concluded it is viable for a women’s British and Irish Lions rugby side to be assembled.

These findings are welcome insight into the financial health of the women’s game, proving there is ample opportunity to capitalise on the growing interest of rugby fans.

The key question remains — is this old idea the right one in this brave new world of rugby?

On the face of it, a women’s Lions tour is a tasty prospect. It brings to the game the romanticism of national tours, something we haven’t seen in women’s rugby since the self-led initiatives of the early 1990s.

I would be the first to buy tickets to a midweek match between the Hurricanes Poua and travelling Lions side. But once you carry that thought experiment through to reality, you realise how impossible a tour like this would be.

Firstly, a women’s British and Irish Lions side would be a lot more limited in their options for opposition. In the past year, we have seen a rapid acceleration of professionalism in international sides — Canada were the notable exception in the quarter-finals of the World Cup last year as the only amateur team.

We are yet to see this investment trickle down to domestic leagues, though. The heart of the Lions, England, are the only nation with a strong enough domestic offering to give an invitational team a proper run.

While there is promise in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition, it would need to be playing more games than the team touring to be truly match fit. As well as exposing our under-cooked domestic competition, New Zealand acting as host could not work with conflicting schedules.

Aupiki is played over the same window as preparations for the Six Nations. It is doubtful that England would be keen on releasing anyone in this window for a jaunt down south. The introduction of this Lions side would also be into a post-WXV world. This new World Rugby competition is seeking to offer consistency in the number of international women’s matches played, thereby raising the standard of play and the development of international programmes. Between its annual regional qualifying tournaments and divisional playoff series, the dance card is too full.

Without viable midweek opposition, and an international fixtures window, the women’s British and Irish Lions side doesn’t look like much of a chance of proceeding. But that’s okay. The history of this team is from a bygone era. Well before global administrator World Rugby, it offered a chance for collaboration between nations to grow the game.

The Lions are an important part of men’s rugby history but don’t need to be a part of women’s rugby future.