GEECH LAYS DOWN LIONS LAW
Ian McGeechan has laid down the law to his wannabe British Lions ahead of June's tour to South Africa saying there will be NO stepping out of line and NO repeat of England's summer shame in New Zealand.
The Wasps director of rugby, who is in charge of the 10-match, two-Test series, believes that each individual has a duty to honour the Lions jersey - and because of that there is no way his squad will act in an unruly manner.
During the summer, four England players were accused of being involved in the alleged rape of a teenager while on tour in New Zealand. Although charges were never brought, the quartet were disciplined internally for drinking and acting improperly.
McGeechan has now revealed there will be a strict code of conduct for all the Lions players in South Africa, but he hopes that it will not be needed.
The 62-year-old explained: "We have a code of conduct, but it comes back to what we want to look like as people.
"There is a huge responsibility on a Lions group simply because of the numbers that follow it. Now the Lions are probably the biggest product in world rugby.
"There are principles of behavour and what we would expect players to look like to people on the outside. If we are honest about that then you should not need a written code of conduct.
"It's like contracts - you only go to a contract when things are going wrong. It might be there in the background but the overriding ethos is what what we want to be.
"I want to see someone walking down the street proud to wear a Lions jersey because of what they are seeing, not because it's a Lions jersey with a Lions flag. It's because of what we look like in it.
"That is the ultimate thing about being a Lion - people want to put a jersey on when there is a game or a Test match coming up because of what we represent and what we are showing in it."
McGeechan led the Lions to success in South Africa last time they were on tour there, in 1997, and he knows how hard it will be to win against the World Cup winners next year.
He continued: "Playing a Lions Test series is as much pressure as playing a World Cup Final because to play and learn in that environment when your opponents see you as the biggest opposition you can play, and you are doing it in their country, is very pressured."
Ian McGeechan has laid down the law to his wannabe British Lions ahead of June's tour to South Africa saying there will be NO stepping out of line and NO repeat of England's summer shame in New Zealand.
The Wasps director of rugby, who is in charge of the 10-match, two-Test series, believes that each individual has a duty to honour the Lions jersey - and because of that there is no way his squad will act in an unruly manner.
During the summer, four England players were accused of being involved in the alleged rape of a teenager while on tour in New Zealand. Although charges were never brought, the quartet were disciplined internally for drinking and acting improperly.
McGeechan has now revealed there will be a strict code of conduct for all the Lions players in South Africa, but he hopes that it will not be needed.
The 62-year-old explained: "We have a code of conduct, but it comes back to what we want to look like as people.
"There is a huge responsibility on a Lions group simply because of the numbers that follow it. Now the Lions are probably the biggest product in world rugby.
"There are principles of behavour and what we would expect players to look like to people on the outside. If we are honest about that then you should not need a written code of conduct.
"It's like contracts - you only go to a contract when things are going wrong. It might be there in the background but the overriding ethos is what what we want to be.
"I want to see someone walking down the street proud to wear a Lions jersey because of what they are seeing, not because it's a Lions jersey with a Lions flag. It's because of what we look like in it.
"That is the ultimate thing about being a Lion - people want to put a jersey on when there is a game or a Test match coming up because of what we represent and what we are showing in it."
McGeechan led the Lions to success in South Africa last time they were on tour there, in 1997, and he knows how hard it will be to win against the World Cup winners next year.
He continued: "Playing a Lions Test series is as much pressure as playing a World Cup Final because to play and learn in that environment when your opponents see you as the biggest opposition you can play, and you are doing it in their country, is very pressured."
Labels: British Lions, Ian McGeechan, South Africa
