Lions Tour 2017 (New Zealand)

Shawn Michaels

It would be good to hear from anyone who's thinking of heading to New Zealand next summer.

The greatest challenge from a rugby perspective but probably the worst of the three tours due the distance, the weather, and the lack of accommodation.

Have you thought about your travel route and how to get tickets and accommodation?

athtrasna

I've a big birthday next year so the dream is the full tour. Weighing up the cost v chance in a lifetime. Probably travelling solo so organised tour my best option I'm thinking

Shawn Michaels

athtrasna wrote: »

I've a big birthday next year so the dream is the full tour. Weighing up the cost v chance in a lifetime. Probably travelling solo so organised tour my best option I'm thinking

Hi There

Go for it!

You pay a major premium for the organised tours though.

Accommodation is my big concern. I've heard stories of people bunking on cargo ships because of the lack of hotel rooms.

I'm going to the 1st & 2nd Tests plus the midweek game.

athtrasna

Shawn Michaels wrote: »

Hi There

Go for it!

You pay a major premium for the organised tours though.

Accommodation is my big concern. I've heard stories of people bunking on cargo ships because of the lack of hotel rooms.

I'm going to the 1st & 2nd Tests plus the midweek game.

Actually the Trevor Brennan full tour is almost reasonable compared to those being offered by the Lions through their site. Still a LOT of money. But chance in a lifetime

Shawn Michaels

Yeah, the Lions tours are great. This will be my 4th, but my first to NZ.

We're booking flights ourselves and then taking our chances with tickets and accommodation.

awec

athtrasna wrote: »

Actually the Trevor Brennan full tour is almost reasonable compared to those being offered by the Lions through their site. Still a LOT of money. But chance in a lifetime

Do you have to actually travel with Trevor Brennan himself though?

CatFromHue

Shawn Michaels wrote: »

Yeah, the Lions tours are great. This will be my 4th, but my first to NZ.

We're booking flights ourselves and then taking our chances with tickets and accommodation.

Whatever about tickets I wouldn't be taking my chances with accommodation, I'd lock that down as soon as you get a chance.

Just to put it in perspective I was chatting to a sky diver who said that during the normal Summer he did 6-8 jumps a day, he was one of the guys your strapped to for a tourist to jump with, but during the last Lions tour he said he got up to 13 jumps at one stage.......this was in the short Winter days too!

Hayley1

I would recommend getting your accommodation sorted as the hotels and hostels are full.
June / July are New Zealand winter months, so take warm clothes.
Looking for 3 tickets to 2nd (Wellington) and 3rd (Auckland) Tests, if anyone hears of access to get tickets.

ArmchairQB

12 years ago booked a jeep between 4 of us pre booked Friday & Saturday night in each test location and done our own thing in-between traveling from Invercargill all the way North of Auckland. Great trip accommodation was ok to find once you bought a travel book that listed hotels. Must change vehicle when ferrying across from South to North Island. Weather was brutal during Test weekends but ok otherwise. Can be done on a reasonably small budget. Booked flights and weekend accommodation with Trailfinders

flogthebog

Was just looking at comments made by Mark McCafferty about the tour. Comments like ' the touring party are due to depart before the premiership and Pro12 finals with the first match taking place on the same weekend as the Top 14 final' is definitely worrying. Then playing 10 matches in total at the end of a highly attritional season would make you wonder what state the players are going to be in during the series. Looking at the SA summer tour this year it was very clear to see how shattered players looked. And to settle into an extended Lions tour after looking at that SA tour would make you think they will need every international from all the participating nations just to manage the attrition rate

awec

They number of games shouldn't be surprising, they've played at least 10 the last 3 tours.

And no player is going to play in every game.

flogthebog

you effectively need a third and fourth team to play the lesser games and a first and second team to manage the tests. you must be talking about an absolutely huge squad. as i said all players will be wrecked at this stage of the season and to complement that many will be suffering injuries and then the season isnt even completed in france and the premiership/pro12 has just completed the same week as the start of the tour. i would call this challenging :-)

CatFromHue

The French based guys I don't think will be such a big problem now this year as I'm not sure how many guys over there will be in the reckoning.

John Davies has moved back to Wales, Sexton back to Ireland, Richie Gray prob won't be selected, it's only really Halfpenny.

I personally would scrap the first game against the BaaBaas too.

Neil3030

flogthebog wrote: »

...Comments like ' the touring party are due to depart before the premiership and Pro12 finals with the first match taking place on the same weekend as the Top 14 final' is definitely worrying....

The first test isn't until the 24th of June, approx one month after the Prem/Pro12 finals.

Hayley1

Looking for 3 Lions Tickets for the 2nd Test on 1st July Wellington