Lions' new shirt deal worth £1m

The British Lions unveil a £1million shirt sponsor-ship deal today with one of the largest investors in Premiership football.

Britain's biggest cable television company, ntl, will add rugby's most famous touring team to a soccer stable which includes Newcastle, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Rangers and Celtic. The seven-figure sum involved underlines the increased value of a Lions jersey.

Four years ago a Scottish insurance company paid less than £500,000 to sponsor the winning 1997 series in South Africa. The new deal will cover the seven-week tour of Australia next summer.

Martin Johnson's captaincy of England, victors over both Australia and South Africa in recent weeks, is favourite to be the first player to lead the Lions on successive tours.

No charges are to be brought against South Africa or England players over Saturday's match at Twickenham. That was the ruling of independent citing commissioner Russell Howells of Wales yesterday.

Lawrence Dallaglio and Iain Balshaw are the only England players in the 22-man Barbarian squad for Sunday's game against South Africa in Cardiff.