British and Irish Lions targeting history after announcing 2021 tour of South Africa schedule

Lions hope to attract 88,000 fans for the first Test in Johannesburg which would mark the largest crowd to ever watch the British touring side

The British and Irish Lions will target the largest crowd ever for a tour after announcing their South Africa 2021 tour.

The Lions will play a three-match tour against the recently-crowned world champion Springboks in July 2021, with Warren Gatland set to lead the side for a third time following the series win in Australia in 2013 and draw with the All Blacks in 2017.

In what is a reduced eight-game schedule, the Lions will scrap the mid-week tour match ahead of the first Test, as well as the game in between the first and second test, giving them seven days to prepare for the first Test at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on the 17 July.

The second Test takes place in Cape Town a week later, with the third Test due to be held back in Johannesburg at the Emirates Airline Park.

For the opening Test, the Lions hope to attract a sell-out 88,000 capacity crowd, which would surpass the 84,188 that attended the first Test against the Wallabies in 2001 at The Gabba in Brisbane.

“I am absolutely thrilled with how this schedule looks,” said Gatland. “Touring South Africa is always a huge challenge, not only from a rugby perspective, but also in terms of the venues and the conditions facing the players.

On top of the three-match Test series, the Lions will play five warm-up tour matches, kicking off on 3 July against the Stormers before facing a South Africa ‘Invitational’ side, the Sharks, the Springboks’ ‘A side’ and the Bulls.

“We are very comfortable that three of the games, two of which are Test matches, will be played at altitude. Our schedule falls in a way to allow us to start at sea level before building up and acclimatising to the unique environment that playing at altitude presents.

“Ensuring the team are absolutely primed for the Test matches is a critical element of any Lions Tour, and I am confident the quality of opposition we will face in the opening weeks will get us ready to take on the Springboks. The Bulls, Sharks and Stormers are all tough sides and present different challenges, which is exactly what we want.

“Moreover, the venues we have agreed – some of which will be new to the Lions – open up the matches to a vast audience and will undoubtedly provide an unforgettable experience for the players and travelling supporters alike.

“We are very much looking forward to touring this wonderful country.”

For the second time in a row, the Lions will take on the reigning world champions following South Africa’s victory over England in last month’s final – a prospect that Gatland was looking forward to as soon as the Springboks were crowned Rugby World Cup winners – having seen his Wales side knocked out of the semi-finals by Rassie Erasmus’s team.

Erasmus has stepped up to become South Africa’s director of rugby, with the hunt on to find a new head coach to lead the Springboks into next year’s summer tour as well as the Rugby Championship against the All Blacks, Australia and Argentina, but the former Munster coach is fully aware of the significance of the tour despite the cut-down schedule.

“There are players who have been to three Rugby World Cups and finished their careers with a winner’s medal yet never got to play against the Lions,” said Erasmus. “They only come around every 12 years for our players and only a few of them ever have the privilege of wearing the Springbok jersey in a Lions series.

“The Lions have not lost a series since they were last here a decade ago and they will present a next-level challenge in 18 months’ time.

Gatland will lead the Lions for the third time (Getty)

“Warren Gatland is a massively experienced and astute coach with a phenomenal record with the Lions and the rugby experience for our players and public will rival that of a Rugby World Cup.

“The Lions performed extremely well on their previous two tours [in Australia and New Zealand] and will no doubt relish the opportunity to add the Springboks’ scalp to their belt.

“They will operate like a well-oiled machine and we will have to work very hard to match them in every department, on and off the field.”