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Lions tour 2019 (Merged Threads)

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17 stone giant

17 stone giant

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53 minutes ago, damp squib said:

The Union team is officially known in all it's branding as The British and Irish Lions or just The Lions. The team jersey is a neutral colour and they don't use GSTQ as an anthem. I'm aware that people in Britain may refer to them colloquially as the British Lions but the team itself and the media are meticulous about using the correct name.

Only ignorant or arrogant people continue to refer to the team as the British Lions. Everybody else - and I'd say it's the majority nowadays in Britain - will always correctly call them the British and Irish Lions, or just The Lions. I accept that in the past this wasn't always the case, but I think there is a determined effort nowadays from most people to be accurate and respectful to what The Lions is - a team comprising of four proud rugby union playing nations. As you say, everything about The Lions is designed to promote this - from the kit, the lack of an anthem, the determination from within the sport to make sure that both they and the media use the correct name. All of this makes The Lions a fantastic and genuine sporting spectacle. In contrast, the way that rugby league treats Ireland is nothing less than shameful. Even the BBC article written by Dave Woods has the headline "Great Britain Lions...….".

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EastLondonMike

EastLondonMike

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We'll it seems no one down under can remember the name anyway. 

We are the "GB League Lions" according to some.

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17 stone giant

17 stone giant

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1 hour ago, damp squib said:

Kevin Sinfield has ruled it out. Hasn't ruled out heritage players though.

I'm delighted that they've ruled out a quota system. That would have been an insult to the great players of the past who earned a cap for the Lions because they were the very best that we had at the time.

I don't have any problem with heritage players. It's something that happens in all sports nowadays. As I've said previously, if you're eligible to play for England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland (I personally wouldn't include Ireland, but the rugby league administrators have chosen to), then you're automatically eligible to play for the Great Britain and Ireland Lions.

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17 stone giant

17 stone giant

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4 hours ago, scotchy1 said:

God that's an embarrassing press release. To have 5 people give a comment about and only one use the correct name is just...words fail me.

That's because they're just paying lip service to Ireland. They have zero interest in actually doing what rugby union does and creating a genuine team that represents the four nations. They just put the "and Ireland" bit in if and when they can be bothered to (which doesn't seem to be very often!), and they'll stick the four nations badge on the shirt as a token gesture. They'll still wear their red, white and blue kit (which was always used when we were just Great Britain and there wasn't even the pretence of including Ireland), still sing God Save The Queen, still walk out behind a Union Flag. "Embarrassing" is the right word.

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Keith989

Keith989

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2 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

Only ignorant or arrogant people continue to refer to the team as the British Lions. Everybody else - and I'd say it's the majority nowadays in Britain - will always correctly call them the British and Irish Lions, or just The Lions. I accept that in the past this wasn't always the case, but I think there is a determined effort nowadays from most people to be accurate and respectful to what The Lions is - a team comprising of four proud rugby union playing nations. As you say, everything about The Lions is designed to promote this - from the kit, the lack of an anthem, the determination from within the sport to make sure that both they and the media use the correct name. All of this makes The Lions a fantastic and genuine sporting spectacle. In contrast, the way that rugby league treats Ireland is nothing less than shameful. Even the BBC article written by Dave Woods has the headline "Great Britain Lions...….".

The reference to British Lions seems to come from mainly the Welsh for whatever reason. Wales online will never call the team the full name and their players and fans do the same. 

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RP London

RP London

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3 hours ago, damp squib said:

The Union team is officially known in all it's branding as The British and Irish Lions or just The Lions. The team jersey is a neutral colour and they don't use GSTQ as an anthem. I'm aware that people in Britain may refer to them colloquially as the British Lions but the team itself and the media are meticulous about using the correct name.

They're still not actually that popular in Ireland though as everyone outside of hardcore Rugby people just support the national team and maybe their province.

Cheers for that.

I get that the naming etc and cock up today is not good but all the branding is the same/similar.. it's gb&I lions etc... often referred to as the lions especially after the last cock up with Carney... and yes people should have been more careful today absolutely. 

Understand the kit issue it was just that it seemed to be today's cluster fluck of a launch, and I think we are all desparing about that for one reason or another, that had seemed to make you go "not supporting" but can understand this point in addition. 

Impression I had got was Ireland got behind the union lions well.. surprised it's not so.. maybe more because those i know are more invested. 

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Nate90

Nate90

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Would people rather see representation from all Four Nations or the best team on the field? 

I imagine if need be the Non-English players will start against Papua New Guinea and perhaps Tonga.

 Will there be any warm up games beforehand? 

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Tommygilf

Tommygilf

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On Ireland, I of course understand the dismay from some, being Irish catholic heritage myself. However, doesn't RLI represent on an "all Ireland" basis? Wouldn't that make at least some of the players eligible and indeed aligned to a GB side?

I agree it would all be simpler if this was just England Scotland and Wales but its not. 

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Tommygilf

Tommygilf

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1 minute ago, Nate90 said:

Would people rather see representation from all Four Nations or the best team on the field? 

I imagine if need be the Non-English players will start against Papua New Guinea and perhaps Tonga.

 Will there be any warm up games beforehand? 

England could play Wales surely?

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EastLondonMike

EastLondonMike

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20 minutes ago, Nate90 said:

Would people rather see representation from all Four Nations or the best team on the field? 

I imagine if need be the Non-English players will start against Papua New Guinea and perhaps Tonga.

 Will there be any warm up games beforehand? 

Best possible team without a doubt. Anything less is insulting IMO.

I hate to admit it, and it angers me that I feel this way, but currently I have a very negative view of this whole thing. 

Newham Dockers - Champions 2013. Rugby League For East London. 100% Cockney Rugby League!

Twitter: @NewhamDockersRL - Get following!

www.newhamdockers.co.uk

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17 stone giant

17 stone giant

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31 minutes ago, Nate90 said:

Would people rather see representation from all Four Nations or the best team on the field?

The best team. This is the Great Britain Lions (I'm deliberately omitting Ireland because they shouldn't be part of it). This is the team that Hanley, Gregory, Schofield, Davies, etc. played for. If you pull on that shirt, you're the best that we have.

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17 stone giant

17 stone giant

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11 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

Sinfield is an utter idiot. Announcement about this and that dour, dull fool is saying “it’s a shame we’re not going to Australia”. 

Rather than thinking him an idiot, I appreciate his honesty and feel the same way as he does. What's the point in him pretending that the absence of an Australia match is anything other than a huge disappointment? Who would he be fooling if he said "I don't think it matters if we're not playing Australia". People aren't stupid.

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Oliver Clothesoff

Oliver Clothesoff

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20 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

Rather than thinking him an idiot, I appreciate his honesty and feel the same way as he does. What's the point in him pretending that the absence of an Australia match is anything other than a huge disappointment? Who would he be fooling if he said "I don't think it matters if we're not playing Australia". People aren't stupid.

Why mention Australia? There was no need. It’s announced we’re playing a side we’ve got the measure of in their own back yard (and someone we’ve not beaten in their home country for however many years) the most exciting, atmospheric and talked about nation on the planet who we had to do well against to edge past them in the Semi-Final of the last World Cup and we’re off to the nation where Rugby League is king, where it’s going to bring the place to a halt for 80 minutes. 

I’m merely a Rugby League fan. I’ve never played the game to any sort of level. I’ve never coached the game at Super League level. I’ve never got whatever honorary degrees Sinfield has. I’ve never received the media training he has. However, speaking as purely a Rugby League fan, I’ve managed with complete ease to find a way, completely naturally and not sounding forced or false, to come up with something positive about each of the three nations we’re going to face, without having to mention a nation that we’re not facing, that have their International games sorted and that have been in the calendar for a while now. 

There was no need to mention Australia, none whatsoever and for some unknown reason, someone, highly respected and from within the GB camp, has commented on them, almost taking the shine off what should be a good day for Rugby League here in the UK. If Australia have to be mentioned, a mere “they have their fixtures sorted and we couldn’t agree on a way to be included, however, we have three fantastic opponents we’re looking forward to playing” was all it would have taken to take it away from being a discussion about why England/GB and Australia haven’t played for however long. 

Sinfield is an idiot, I’m afraid. 

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