Battling the Lions: Packing them in

From a population of 2.5 million, 800,000 tickets were sold for the 25 matches.

The total gate take for the tour was £318,000, the equivalent of $11 million in today's terms.

At the second test in Wellington, thousands of fans charged into Athletic Park when the gates closed on them.

The crowd poured over the fences and through gates lifted off their hinges.

In Greymouth 11,000 people - more than the entire population of the town - watched the Lions beat the combined West Coast-Buller team.

The National Airways Corporation provided 48 extra flights to transport some of the 54,000 spectators to the fourth test in Auckland.

Even justice took a break for the rugby. At the request of counsel, the Supreme Court in Christchurch adjourned for 1/2 a day when the Lions played New Zealand Universities.