Mark McCafferty confirms shortened British and Irish Lions tours from 2020

Chief executive of Premiership Rugby Mark McCafferty has confirmed that future British and Irish Lions tours are set to be trimmed by a week when the Global Calendar comes into effect from 2020.

The upcoming Lions tour of New Zealand kicks off from 3rd June and consists of seven tour games against New Zealand Provincial Barbarians, Blues, Crusaders, Highlanders, Chiefs, Hurricanes and Maori All Blacks before taking on All Blacks in a three-Test series.

Despite, former and present players stress for the current format to be retained in the coming Lions tours, McCafferty, who echoed Rugby Football Union chief executive Ian Ritchie's views said such a demanding schedule will not be feasible in the future tours.

"We have been fairly outspoken. At the start of the season we said we were unhappy about the intensity of the schedule that had been signed up several years ago and it needs to change," McCafferty said.

"To go through this kind of programme in the future is not feasible. To be playing 10 matches in a five-week period is too much and our views on that have not changed.

"Hopefully come 2021 some of those changes will come into place and they have largely been agreed. The duration of the tour is scheduled to come down by a week so that will mean a decrease in games.

"Ultimately it is up to the Lions how many games they put into the time frame, but we have a big interest in how players are managed through that."

There are also reports emerging that Premiership Rugby is considering to have an annual competition between clubs from northern and southern hemispheres while the Currie Cup teams from South Africa might be invited to take part in Anglo-Welsh Cups.