Lions greats including Ian McGeechan call for changes to make sport safer

Ian McGeechan is among those calling for swift action (Essentially/PA)

A group of British and Irish Lions greats have called on World Rugby to allow substitutes only in the case of injury to make the sport safer and help prevent the prospect of a player dying on the field.

In an open letter to World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont – signed by Ian McGeechan, Willie John McBride, Gareth Edwards, Barry John and John Taylor as well as consultant surgeon Professor John Fairclough – it is claimed the professional game “has become unnecessarily dangerous”.