Rugby players and pundits have reacted angrily to Warren Gatland calling up four ‘undeserving’ Welsh players.
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Sir Ian McGeechan: “where you are shouldn’t determine that you are in a @lionsofficial jersey”. #LionsNZ2017 pic.twitter.com/oWlCYlipyo
— #RugbySaracens (@RugbySaracens) June 17, 2017
Wouldn’t matter if a player was on the moon, if the call came from @lionsofficial they would make it back and give anything asked! #shame
— Ben Foden (@ben_foden) June 17, 2017
Complete bollocks mate. Shouldn’t become a Lion based on locality. The most exclusive club in rugby needs to be just that https://t.co/VHGQCTacSP
— ugo monye (@ugomonye) June 16, 2017
Lions call-ups of convenience devalue the shirt. By @BenKay5 https://t.co/2g5sDWyan7
— owenslotTheTimes (@owenslot) June 17, 2017
https://t.co/Mfer6MiX3c If you are called into the @lionsofficial squad it should be on merit & not because you are in the same country.
— Craig Chalmers (@Chick_Chalmers) June 17, 2017
Warren Gatland has just announced the Lions latest call up #LionsNZ2017 pic.twitter.com/OLs2w6qWAx
— Eggchasers Podcast (@RugbyPodcast) June 17, 2017
Warren Gatland…not sure you ‘get’ the Lions pal.
What the shirt represents & HOW you win or lose matters as well as results #LionsNZ2017
— Tim Cocker (@cocker) June 17, 2017
Ben Kay wrote in The Times that “selecting players for the British & Irish Lions squad because they happen to be on the doorstep, rather than because they have earned their promotion, devalues the jersey.
“It is harsh on those like [Dylan] Hartley and Joe Launchbury, who were next in line on merit, to miss out on Lions selection just because England are on the other side of the world.
“Jonny Gray can feel unfortunate too, given what he has achieved with Glasgow Warriors and Scotland over the last couple of years – and he is in Australia.”
Why wouldn’t you pick the next Best ??? I don’t get that … https://t.co/Mscd4O0pP7
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) June 17, 2017