Max Duthie, a partner in Bird & Bird’s sports group, is the legal officer to the British and Irish Lions, travelling with the tour party on its historic tour to Hong Kong and Australia for six weeks. He is writing a tour diary, exclusively for Legal Week. This is his fourth instalment.
The run-up to the first test in Brisbane was fascinating. There was the usual speculation as to who was going to make selection. And then when the match squad was announced (we were told 24 hours in advance of the public announcement), and those who were participating were congratulated by all, there was then further speculation as to how the others would react. And, crucially, would they drown their sorrows by going out on a bender, in time-honoured rugby tour fashion? It is testament to the squad spirit that they did not (or at least they did not do so obviously – it might have been that one or two of them shinned down the hotel drainpipe).
