Lions could return to Argentina 20/10/2010 |
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British & Irish Lions tour manager Andy Irvine believes that it would be "disrespectful" not to tour Argentina in the future should the country continue its development on the international rugby stage.
The Lions have visited Argentina on three previous occasions – in 1910, 1927 and most recently in 1936 – but the South American country has long since disappeared from the tour rotation with the southern hemisphere giants of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa taking precedence.
However, Irvine – recently appointed for the trip to Australia in 2013 – said: "I think the Lions have a role to play in trying to promote the game and if Argentina continue to improve as they are doing, it would be so disrespectful not to include them.”
Argentina has been given a place in an expanded Tri-Nations alongside New Zealand, South Africa and Australia from 2012 – and Irvine thinks a Lions tour would be the next step.
"The current SANZAR deal runs until 2017 when a new agreement will have to be debated," he added. "And I think the IRB [International Rugby Board] are bound to put pressure on the Lions to include them [Argentina] and they deserve to be as they are a bloody good side. But at the very earliest it would be 2021 before we went back."
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