125 Years of the British and Irish Lions

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The British and Irish Lions are one of the most famous and feted teams in the world of rugby. Every four years, the Lions – selected from the national sides of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland – head to the southern hemisphere to do battle with New Zealand, Australia or South Africa. 125 Years of the British and Irish Lions covers the entire period of the Lions’ existence, from the first recorded rugby tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1888 to the 2013 tour to Australia. In this comprehensive book, authors Clem and Greg Thomas trace the origins of the Lions, track the team’s development and investigate the social and political issues that have helped to shape one of the world’s most formidable touring forces. They relive every Lions tour and Test match and celebrate the key moments that have made the Lions such a magical part of rugby folklore. 125 Years of the British and Irish Lions includes colourful recollections from and insightful profiles of some of the most celebrated members of Lions teams, highlighting the fulfilment, pride and passion that every British or Irish player feels upon being selected to play as a Lion.

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The late Clem Thomas was an outstanding Swansea flanker who earned 26 caps for Wales between 1949 and 1959. He was a British and Irish Lion in 1955 on the tour to South Africa. After retiring from rugby, he became a respected journalist and completed work on the first edition of this book prior to his death in 1996. Greg Thomas is Clem Thomas's son. He is a former Swansea and London Welsh centre/wing and student international for Wales. In 2009 he was appointed head of media and communications for the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa. Now resident in Sydney, he will once again be part of the Lions management team for their 2013 tour to Australia.