As a fan, do you prefer the Rugby World Cup or the British and Irish Lions tour?

[IT157]

Overall the World Cup. Mostly because I care a lot more about England winning the World Cup than the British and Irish Lions winning a tour. If they win the tour, its nice to hear about, but then I just go about my day.

The real downside of the World Cup is some of the one sided games like Namibia vs. New Zealand. No chance Namibia are winning that game. Just like there is no chance Samoa or Romania are going to win the World Cup. At least with the British and Irish Lions it should be competitive which works in its favour.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

World Cup, not even close

 

[Ddanno]

Definitely the WC both as a spectacle and the hope of winning it. I know the minnow matches aren't all that worthwhile in the main, but sometimes (recently) there's been some magic. SA vs Japan to state the bleeding obvious, but Portugal vs Fiji was an amazing game to watch, as well as George Ford basically beating Argentina like an unruly child after a very early red card.

Maybe I'd have a bit more time for the Lions if Gatland and his mates weren't in charge for all of the tours I've watched (and it wasn't so disruptive to the national sides for the sake of tradition). The only moment that really sticks in my mind is George North sending Folau to hell (and good on him for it)

 

[Yulia]

Definitely World cup,just more interesting imo

 

[Ddanno]

I'd be quite surprised if a single fan, player, coach or even ref picked the Lions over the WC

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

The Lions Tour should be exclusively for over 35s and U23s. Cause it's in a **** time zone 2/3 of the time and players deserve some rest. Lions and the barbarians are cool in theory but don't really have a place in the modern day. Would love to see a way for them to survive and thrive but I just don't see it.

 

[Ddanno]

The Lions Tour should be exclusively for over 35s and U23s. Cause it's in a **** time zone 2/3 of the time and players deserve some rest. Lions and the barbarians are cool in theory but don't really have a place in the modern day. Would love to see a way for them to survive and thrive but I just don't see it.

I still quite like the Barbs. It's invitational, usually one match or two a year and used as a warm up to a national tour.

Lots of players enjoy closing out a storied career with it and the side doesn't disturb things like the Lions does (because it's made up of youngsters and players about to retire)

I'd sooner bin the Lions and it's not much of a competition, however much it makes for the host side every 12 blimmin' years

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Oh I love the barbarians, when they play with their style it's the best thing in rugby.

They just haven't had a good fixture list since 2022 and that was only cause premiership teams had gaps in the schedule.

I'd love for the barbarians to play tier 2/3 teams a couple times a year with one or two tier 1 fixtures.

 

[Derpus]

The Lions Tour should be exclusively for over 35s and U23s. Cause it's in a **** time zone 2/3 of the time and players deserve some rest. Lions and the barbarians are cool in theory but don't really have a place in the modern day. Would love to see a way for them to survive and thrive but I just don't see it.

Correction, you are in a **** time zone. We are in the correct one.

I prefer the world cup but I think three match tours are grossly underrated and should be brought back rather than moved away from.

 

[McTallshort]

Lions. If I had a choice of following either the Lions in SA or the WC in USA I would definitely go for the Lions.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I love both for different reasons and they don't really compete because of the timings. So I don't have to pick and choose but both have their merits.

I love a WC for what it is, as you all do. What I love about the lions is the mix of players coming together and the chats you get with the fans from other home nations bringing us all together for the common goal. The possibility of new combos and the excitement of the 'new'.

 

[Lancashire Nick]

Lions for me.
I started playing Rugby at school as a 9 year old in 1973, and the first major event I remember following closely, and the thing that made me a Rugby fan, was the 1974 Lions Tour.
On the other hand there wasn't even a World Cup until I was 23, so in terms of my love of the game, it really is/was a bit of an afterthought. I enjoy it, but I far prefer the Lions tours and the Six Nations.

 

[Lancashire Nick]

I'd be quite surprised if a single fan, player, coach or even ref picked the Lions over the WC

Prepare to be amazed ....... I've been a fan of the game for over 50 years; and if I had to choose, my order of preference to watch would be :
(1) Six Nations championship
(2) Lions Tour
(3) European Rugby Champions Cup
(4) World Cup
(5) Gallagher Premiership

 

[Derpus]

Prepare to be amazed ....... I've been a fan of the game for over 50 years; and if I had to choose, my order of preference to watch would be :
(1) Six Nations championship
(2) Lions Tour
(3) European Rugby Champions Cup
(4) World Cup
(5) Gallagher Premiership

This belongs in the controversial opinions thread.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Lions tours were a great amateur era thing. But they're much diminished and some of the midweek matches are pointless especially when the hosts rest their test players as Aus are going to. It's just all a bit sickly commercial and overhyped now too.

If I'm in I'll watch a Lions test. I'll make sure I'm in to watch a big World Cup match, even if it doesn't involve England.

 

[Lancashire Nick]

This belongs in the controversial opinions thread.

I'm assuming you mean my preference for European Cup over World Cup.

(1) I prefer the traditional forward based, physical game of the Northern Hemisphere (I know there are exceptions), which you see more often in the European Cup.

(2) The results of the World Cup games are too predictable and obvious e.g. in the last tournament I successfully predicted the winner in all knockout games, and all but 3 of the Pool games (that's 45 out of 48 correct predictions). Last week alone, I got the winners of both European semi-finals wrong.

(3) Thanks to the ability to sign players from anywhere, rather than having to rely on birthplace and residency rules; the standard is better, and more evenly spread in Europe, allowing for more quality, well contested games. You rarely get teams like Chile and Romania providing nothing of substance.

 

[Derpus]

I'm assuming you mean my preference for European Cup over World Cup.

(1) I prefer the traditional forward based, physical game of the Northern Hemisphere (I know there are exceptions), which you see more often in the European Cup.

(2) The results of the World Cup games are too predictable and obvious e.g. in the last tournament I successfully predicted the winner in all knockout games, and all but 3 of the Pool games (that's 45 out of 48 correct predictions). Last week alone, I got the winners of both European semi-finals wrong.

(3) Thanks to the ability to sign players from anywhere, rather than having to rely on birthplace and residency rules; the standard is better, and more evenly spread in Europe, allowing for more quality, well contested games. You rarely get teams like Chile and Romania providing nothing of substance.

The standard of European rugby is higher than test rugby? It may get there when rugby inevitably becomes some awful EPL-lite trash but for now at least this isn't the case.

 

[stevenp]

Times have changed British & Irish lions tour are not as special as they used to be.

The golden era for British & Irish lions is 1970's.

 

[Tarrako]

1 World Cup
2 Six Nations championship
3 Lions Tour
4 European Rugby Champions Cup
5 Top 14

 

[Which Tyler]

1. World Cup
2. 6N
3. Lions (pre-2000)
4. Champions Cup (pre-2020)
5. Prem
6. Lions (post-2000)
7. T14
8. Super Rugby
9. Champions Cup (post 2020)
10. URC