Australia is one of the world’s great sporting nations, so why not combine top level sport with travel and tour Down Under with the Lions in 2013?
The British and Irish Lions are one of rugby union’s iconic teams, a integral part of the game’s history and heritage. The concept’s survival is a testament to the draw that the side still has, even in the current era of hard-nosed professionalism. The existence of a team and touring party that draws together players and supporters from all four home countries together recalls a little of sport’s more romantic, less regimented days.
Celts and Saxons.
One of the most appealing features of these tours is the way that they bring the Celtic countries, usually so hostile to England and the English in sporting terms, actually come together to make one team. Players from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England make up the Lions and fans of all those countries also come together to back the team. The British Lions tour 2013 will be the same and is a fantastic opportunity to socialise and make new friends from all across the home nations.
That kind of camaraderie makes actually going on a Lions tour all the better. Traditional hostilities are set aside for a few months, with the common enemy one of the Southern Hemisphere giants. For the British Lions tour 2013, the opposition will be Australia, adding to the appeal of the tour for fans. After all, last time the men in red went to Australia, in 2001, something like 20,000 supporters from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England travelled Down Under to follow them.
Pick Your Package.
It is also worth remembering that you do not have to follow the whole tour, if funds and time do not allow. There is a range of packages for fans available, with some taking in midweek games and others just the test matches. You can usually pick and choose a package that will suit you and the group in which you are travelling, however big or small that might be.
The first test for the 2013 tour is being held in Brisbane, Queensland, with the second held in Melbourne before the series concludes in Sydney, usually a rugby league rather than union heartland. There are also seven midweek games in various places with which you can augment your touring package. This time, the tour actually opens in Hong Kong, with a game against the Barbarians, adding yet more excitement to an already tempting schedule.
With coach Warren Gatland already seriously considering which players will be making his final party, time is shortening. Make sure that you do not miss out on a fantastic opportunity to experience one of world sport’s most iconic and enduring events.
AUTHOR BIO
Anna Mathews is originally from the rugby union hotbed of Limerick in Ireland. She grew up on tales of the legendary Munster teams, but after moving to England in the 1980s, she also developed a love for Tour. She now works in the sports travel industry, with both codes of rugby a speciality. She is relishing the approach of the British Lions tour 2013. She shares her insights about travel and sport with a wide range of websites, including http://www.gulliverstravel.co.uk/rugby/british-irish-lions-2013.
