England prop Ellis Genge has revealed he has not received any communication or recieved a letter from the British & Irish Lions ahead of the squad announcement on Thursday.
Warren Gatland sent letters to more than 50 potential Lions players to sound out their availability for this summer’s tour of South Africa.
“Maybe my emails are broken”, he joked to the BBC before he would go on the tour if asked, but is not expecting to be.
Save-the-date letters were sent to every player in contention for the touring party, which will be narrowed down to 36 men before the squad announcement on May 6.
Meanwhile, Tigers scrum-half Ben Youngs has ruled himself out of contention for the tour for family reasons, becoming the first player to publicly do so.
“Whether or not I would have made the final cut, I’ll never know,” Youngs told the Daily Mail.
“I’ve got two young children and my wife is heavily pregnant with the third. This summer I’ve got an opportunity to be with my family and my kids.
“I have always loved the Lions. I’ll be cheering them on, and I wish everyone involved a healthy and successful tour.
“It’s not a decision that I’ve taken lightly, but it’s the best decision for my family.”
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5 potential Lions bolters who received a letter from Warren Gatland
Here are five players who are thought to be among the players who received a letter from Gatland.
#5. Danny Care
- Position: Scrum-half
- Age: 34
Care is thought to be in the mix for Gatland’s final squad. The 34-year-old has not featured for England since the 2018 autumn Test win against Japan but his club form has put him in contention for a first Lions tour. That Ben Youngs has ruled himself out of contention only aids Care’s cause in a position considered to be among the most open.
Did you know? Care is the only England rugby player to win medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games and the senior Commonwealth Games.