Sky Sports has announced a jam-packed schedule of programming for its coverage of the British & Irish Lions 2021 Castle Lager Series in South Africa – complete with archive footage, documentaries and exclusive behind the scenes content available in addition to five Lions warm-up games and of course the three Test matches.
Sky Sports The Lions will be the home of the British & Irish Lions 2021 Castle Lager Series in South Africa. The pop-up channel – available on Sky and NOW – will provide round the clock coverage of the tour for 24 days of coverage as Warren Gatland’s squad take on the World Champions.
Rugby fans will be able to watch a total of eight live games from the tour, kicking off with the first warm-up game against the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg on 3rd July. On the 2nd of July, Sky Sports and NOW viewers will be able to see the Lions’ opposition in action as South Africa take on Georgia in a warm-up game for the hosts.
Replacing Sky Sports Action from Saturday 17th July until 10th August, the new pop-up channel will be the place to take in the final warm-up game for the Lions against DHL Stormers before the three-Test matches get underway. Rugby fans will of course be able to watch the preceding four warm-up games in South Africa live on Sky Sports Action until the pop-up channel launches on 17th July.
PRESENTER:
Alex Payne: He now hosts the podcast 'The Good, The Bad & The Rugby', which debuted at no.1 in the Apple charts before releasing its first episode.
PUNDITS:
Sam Warburton (Wales): Hung up his boots after his battered body could take no more following 74 Tests for Wales and five for the Lions.
Bryan Habana (South Africa): The winger was part of the South Africa team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was one of the stars of the tournament, his eight tries equalling the single-tournament record set by Jonah Lomu in 1999. He was subsequently named the 2007 IRB Player of the Year.
Ronan O’Gara (Ireland): The fly-half won 128 caps for Ireland, winning three Triple Crowns and the Grand Slam in 2009. He also played on three British & Irish Lions tours, winning two caps. He played for sixteen seasons with Munster, with whom he won two Heineken Cups.
Will Greenwood (England): A tall, stylish and astute centre who had a particular penchant for scoring tries against Wales. Two Lions tours, but his finest hour was lifting the World Cup with England in 2003.
Maggie Alphonsi (England): The World Cup-winning flanker was Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year in 2010, and was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in November 2016 during the opening ceremonies for the Hall's first physical location in Rugby, Warwickshire
Sir Ian McGeechan (Scotland): McGeechan, who played and coached the Lions, was knighted in the 2010 New Years Honours List for his services to rugby
Nigel Owens (Referee): The 50-year-old retired in December 2020 after a 17-year career. He currently holds the world record for the most test matches refereed.
Scott Quinnell (Wales): He is a Welsh former dual-code rugby union and rugby league player who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He was a number 8 for Wales, Llanelli RFC, Llanelli Scarlets, Richmond and the British & Irish Lions in rugby union. He won 52 caps for Wales (seven as captain) and three for the Lions, and scored 11 international tries for Wales and one for the Lions.
EDITORS PICKS:
- Lions injury update: Conan, Cowan-Dickie, Jones, Tipuric
- CANCELLED: England match against Scotland today called off
- Lions say goodbye to their partners as they jet off to South Africa
- Joe Marler goes viral after brilliant post-match interview
- LIST: Three players who failed to impress in the Lions opening match
