Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Eamon Doggett

How much will each player earn for the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa?

The seven Irish players in the 2021 Lions squad are set to pocket at least €52,000 for their summer's work.

Ireland are currently represented in the squad by newly installed tour captain Conor Murray, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Iain Henderson, Tadhg Furlong, Jack Conan and Tadhg Beirne.

All seven of them were involved in the Lions' 28-10 warm-up match against Japan last weekend.

Now they are in South Africa where they will gear up for three test matches against the Springboks.

And whatever happens each player in the squad is understood to be guaranteed a basic tour free of around €52,000.

What's more, if the Lions are able to get the better of the reigning World Cup champions, each squad member will get an extra €23,000 for each Test victory.

Lions' Robbie Henshaw celebrates scoring their third try with Conor Murray (©INPHO/Dan Sheridan)

It is purse that is actually down on the Lions' tour of New Zealand four years ago when the basic tour fee was €75,000.

But the substantial financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of ticket sales, and the measures required to keep players safe, means there will be a lot less money in the pot this time around.

Unlike previous tours, the players will not be joined by their families out in South Africa.

Warren Gatland's side's next fixture is on Saturday, 3 July against the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg.

They will then build up to the first Test against South Africa on July 14 in Cape Town.

For the first time since Paul O'Connell led the Lions for the their in South Africa in 2009, they will be led by an Irishman in the shape of Conor Murray.

The Munster scrum-half was handed leadership duties after a dislocated shoulder ruled Welsh lock Alan Wyn Jones out of the tour.

Conor Murray (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“We’re very disappointed to lose Alun Wyn, he’s been brilliant for the first two weeks," said Murray. "I’ve known him from the past two Tours and he's been incredible. It’s a huge loss.

“Warren asked me just before the cap ceremony and it was surreal. I still don't have my head around it, but it's something that is an unbelievable honour, it's something that I never thought would be possible.

“What kind of puts me at ease is that we've such a good leadership group that it means I can continue being myself.

"There’ll be a little bit more responsibility, but I don't think it should change anything around the camp. I think that's one of the most important things - that I remain myself, and I assume that's why Warren asked me to do it.

“I didn't think about long. I said, ‘absolutely, it'll be it'll be a massive honour thank you very much for this opportunity’. Then you kind of think about how big it is and then obviously my phone has gone a bit crazy since it was announced.

“I've been lucky enough to be on a couple of tours already, so it's something that I've said to myself that I'm going to enjoy and take every moment and really, really enjoy the experience. It's something that I'm going to relish and enjoy rather than feeling daunted by it.

“I know a lot of the lads here already, it's a group that you can feed off. When it was announced I got a big round of applause and the boys were congratulating me. It feels really close."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.