The Lions' share for players

13 April 2012

The Lions stand to earn £28,000 a man for six weeks' work in Australia next summer if they return home unbeaten from their 10-match tour.

The proposed incentive scheme will give the elite of British and Irish rugby the potential to go close to doubling the basic fee of £15,000 per player. Bonus payments are based not only on the Lions winning the three-match Test series but on emulating their invincible 1974 predecessors, whose only blemish was a single draw on their tour of South Africa.

The money will take some making as the Wallabies are not in the habit of losing any Test match at home, let alone three on the trot. But any bonuses will apply to all 37 Lions as well as the high-powered management team, raising the maximum pay-out beyond £1million. The first professional Lions tour, of South Africa three years ago, was worth £18,000 a man.

A coterie of senior players, drawn from all four home countries, will be consulted before the small print is finalised, a sensible move given the collapse of negotiations between the England squad and the RFU two weeks ago.

By coincidence, the three leaders of the England dispute - Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio and Matt Dawson - will be among those consulted by Lions manager Donal Lenihan. The 41-year-old Irishman has seen too much haggling on too many issues during five years of professionalism to disregard the chance of another.

'One never knows in the modern era but it's only fair that senior players are consulted before the final draft,' he said. 'We're planning an attractive offer which we intend to finalise with the players in February. All 37 will be treated in exactly the same way financially, whether they're in the Test team or not.

'It will be a good contract from the players' perspective. There are other issues I want to discuss with the senior players because it's important they're given responsibility. I don't fore-see any contractual difficulties. The Lions is such a big honour and such a rare opportunity that players aren't hung up about the money side.'

Lenihan, head coach Graham Henry and the rest of the Lions hierarchy are sufficiently hung up about the eligibility of Shane Howarth to ask the International Board for a ruling.

Howarth's rugby nationality, the subject of recurring controversy last season, assumes added significance given the shortage of potential Lions at full back and fly half. Howarth appeared at full back for Wales but plays fly half for his club, Newport

The expose of his lack of Welsh ancestors has left the 32-year-old New Zealander in an international vacuum since the IB declared him ineligible for Wales.

Under IB regulations no player can play for one country after January 1 if he has already played Test rugby for a different country. Howarth, capped four times as an All Black in 1994, would appear to be ineligible but the Board is setting up a working party to investigate its own rule.

The Lions have asked for clarification and expect it in the New Year. Henry said: 'Shane would be in contention if eligible. He can play at 10, 15 or in midfield.'

The selection process is already taking shape. A list of 80 players has been drawn up, with each candidate given a rating. 'We categorise the players with the numbers one, two or three - three being for the outsiders,' Henry said.

'Hopefully, by the start of the Six Nations we'll have pencilled in 20 names as certainties. We'll then use the Six Nations to get the other 17 players.'

Rarely can the Lions have had a more obvious captain than Johnson, who did the job successfully last time. 'He has to be a very strong contender,' said Henry. 'But I was also very impressed with Dawson's captaincy of England in the Six Nations last season and we know how well Keith Wood and David Young have captained Ireland and Wales.'

Steve Black, Newcastle's fitness coach who resigned from his full-time job with Wales last season, is to join Henry's team of Lions' specialists, with Dr James Robson, a Dundee general practitioner, making his third tour as medical officer.

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The Lions' share for players

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