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Ian Ritchie Wants Lions Schedule To Be Reduced Over Player Burnout

Ian Ritchie Wants Lions Schedule To Be Reduced Over Player Burnout

Is he right?

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

World Rugby is on a collision course with itself over the prospect of a world calendar and RFU chief Ian Ritchie wants to see a shortening of the Lions schedule. However the man with a foot in both camps is against lining up the northern hemisphere season with the southern hemisphere.

This season everything points towards the Lions series in New Zealand next summer. It's hard to get away from it with players' form being scrutinised more than a normal season as they try to force their way into Warren Gatland's plans to take on the best team in the world.

However the Lions have come in for lots of criticism months before a ball is kicked or thrown. The team will take on a 10 game schedule when they arrive in the All Blacks home and many think that's too much. Head of the RFU Ian Ritchie has joined calls to reduce the games. Fearing for players' health Ritchie said:

"Will we want to look at the schedule? I think we should. This has been part of a 12-year deal so it is right to look at it - 2017 was agreed 12 years ago and times have changed."

The fixture list for the Lions actually overlaps with the Aviva Premiership and Top 14 finals meaning many of the best players won't be available for the side's match against Whangarei.

There's lots of people wanting the Lions to change their fixture list due to the heightened physical nature of the sport in the last few years and its impact on players health and well being. However the argument against shortening the tour is the team's need to play with each other.

Ritchie wants the Lions to lessen the amount of games however he doesn't see a way for the northern and southern hemisphere to match up their calendars saying, "As far as RFU is concerned - the Six Nations and autumn internationals are two important bed rocks from a playing and economic factor so we don't anticipate changes there. So that leads to discussion around the summer. As I understand it, the southern hemisphere doesn't want to play in summer and neither do we. So bringing those calendars together becomes very difficult."

At some point some very difficult decision will have to be made, at the moment no one is willing or able to make them!

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