Winning formula that would cure an old sore

IS it not long past time that what passes for the British and Irish Lions rugby team be confined to the colonial dustbin and that a new, modern team comprised of countries which form the Six Nations championship be put together?

Looked at from any angle, one can only conclude that the term “British and Irish Lions” is a sop to the Irish players as this team, when playing abroad, is almost exclusively referred to as the British Lions.

In the absence of the other participating countries in the Six Nations championship, France and Italy, it is assumed by many of the southern hemisphere rugby fraternity that the Lions’ team is representing the United Kingdom and therefore Ireland forms part of the UK. This situation should not be allowed to continue unchallenged as it is an attack on the dignity of Irish citizenship and on the separatist ethos of this sovereign state.