1980 British Lions tour to South Africa

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In 1980 the British Lions rugby union team toured South Africa. The tour was not a success in terms of international results, the Lions losing the first three tests before salvaging some pride with a win in the fourth. The team did however win all their 14 non-international matches The side was captained by Bill Beaumont.

Contents

[edit] Political controversy

The tour went ahead in the face of opposition from the British Government and groups opposed to sporting contact with the apartheid regime in South Africa. The Four Home Unions committee which organises Lions tours decided to go ahead with the planned tour, despite this opposition, in November 1979 and the rugby unions of England (RFU), Ireland (IRFU), Scotland (SRU) and Wales (WRU) all approved the tour by January 1980.

[edit] Injuries and replacements

The tour party was disrupted by an unusually high number of injuries and replacements throughout the 10-week long tour. Eight players flew to South Africa to reinforce the original 30 tourists; Gareth Williams, Tony Ward, Ian Stephens, John Robbie, Phil Orr, Andy Irvine, Paul Dodge and Steve Smith.

Smith joined the tour as cover prior to the final test and did not appear in any games. Irvine was in the original 30 selected tourists but withdrew due to injury prior to leaving the UK. He was replaced by Elgan Rees but joined the tour later when Slemen withdrew.

Nine players left the tour, including Mike Slemen who went home due to family illness. The eight players who were ruled out by injury were Rodney O'Donnell (neck), David Richards (shoulder), Gareth Davies (shoulder and knee), Terry Holmes (shoulder and knee), Stuart Lane (knee), Phil Blakeway (rib) and Fran Cotton (suspected heart trouble). Lane's injury occurred after 55 seconds of the opening game and gave him the shortest career of any Lions tourist. He never played international rugby again. O'Donnell's neck injury ended his rugby career completely.

[edit] Squad

[edit] Management

[edit] Backs

[edit] Forwards

[edit] Results

Lions 28-16 Eastern Province
Lions 28-6 S.A.R.A. Invitation XV
Lions 21-15 Natal
Lions 22-19 South African Invitation XV
Lions 21-17 Orange Free State
Lions 15-6 South African Federation Invitation XV
Lions 22-26 South Africa (Cape Town)
Lions 27-7 South African Country XV
Lions 32-12 Transvaal
Lions 21-15 Eastern Transvaal
Lions 19-26 South Africa (Bloemfontein)
Lions 17-6 Junior Springboks
Lions 16-9 Northern Transvaal
Lions 10-12 South Africa (Port Elizabeth)
Lions 25-14 South African Barbarians
Lions 37-6 Western Province
Lions 23-19 Griqualand West
Lions 17-13 South Africa (Pretoria)

[edit] References

Carwyn James and Chris Rea (1980) Injured pride: the Lions in South Africa (Arthur Barker)

Hopkins, John (1980). British Lions 1980. World's Work Ltd. 

[edit] External links

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