South Africa to explore all options for Lions series to happen - Rassie Erasmus

South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus reckons the board will consider all possible options for the British and Irish Lions tour to happen.

The Lions will tour South Africa for a three-match Test series between 26th June and 7th August but the pandemic Covid-19 has cast doubts on the tour with the boards examining various scenarios as contingency plan.

The various options include postponing the series to next year, playing the series in UK or play them without any spectators and Erasmus, who guided the Springboks to World Cup win in 2019 said they are prepared to exercise all possibilities for the contest to happen.

"We desperately want to play the Lions, and we will do anything to play them," he told an online press conference.

"This series only comes around every 12 years. I have heard the different calls and opinions about the tour, and although we didn't play in the Rugby Championship because of player welfare, it was also because we knew there was this big series in 2021.

"If option one of playing in South Africa doesn't work out, we will go to option Z to make it happen.

"We don't want to lose out on the Lions series, we feel we deserve to play against them. I want to, (head coach) Jacques Nienaber wants to, the players want to. So from our side, we'll do anything.

"But, yes, we will explore any option to play the Lions - we will play next year, we will play over there. This is the view from a player and management perspective."