Home Nations uninsured against tour cancellation

The home unions will be uninsured for any financial losses if the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa does not go ahead, says Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Steve Phillips.

He also says it is "unrealistic" for the traditional "sea of red" fans to be allowed to support the tour.

"The general business concept is that there is no such thing as Covid-19 insurance," said Phillips.

"We've all had to learn to live with that."

The governing bodies of Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales jointly run the Lions and stand to lose several million pounds each in commercial income if the tour is cancelled.

Phillips says each nation knows "there would be no expectation of that [a cancelled tour] being insured".

The Lions plan to go ahead with the tour in South Africa as originally planned before the coronavirus pandemic struck.

A proposal to play the tour in Australia was rejected and Lions board member Phillips says a potential plan to play matches in Britain and Ireland was rejected due to time sensitivities.

"We're plotting to go to South Africa, but if there was some governmental intervention then the matter is taken out of our hands," said Phillips.