Lions tour already facing problems

No sooner had the British and Irish Lions tour fixtures to South Africa been announced than there was a clash of interests.

No sooner had the British and Irish Lions tour fixtures to South Africa been announced than there was a clash of interests.

The Lions tour is set to start against a Highveld XV in Rustenburg on May 30, 2009, however the Guinness Premiership final is scheduled for the same day at Twickenham.

As it stands the situation would leave the Lions in a rather embarrassing position, heading on tour with an incomplete squad. However the Guinness Premiership are in discussions with European Rugby Cup to switch their showpiece final with the Heineken Cup final, scheduled to take place a week earlier.

Regardless, the tour is likely to be affected by the kind of ongoing schedule problems that reduced England's tour of South Africa last year to a virtual third-string affair.

The 2009 Lions will play in seven cities, facing a schedule that includes four midweek fixtures and six Saturday games.