MX23RW : Monday, January 6 10:01:33| >> :600:31067915:31067915:

Crowd of 16,500 to watch British and Irish Lions clash with Japan

It will be the first time fans have been allowed into Murrayfield for an international match since March last year.

A crowd of 16,500 will watch the British and Irish Lions' match against Japan at BT Murrayfield on June 26.

The prelude to the summer tour to South Africa will take place with social distancing measures restricting the number able to attend the 67,144-capacity home of Scottish rugby.

It is likely to be the only occasion when the Lions play in front of fans, with SA Rugby planning for all eight fixtures, including the Test series against the world champions, to take place behind closed doors.

"It will be brilliant to see a passionate crowd back at Murrayfield for what promises to be a superb game of rugby before we embark on the tour to South Africa," Lions managing director Ben Calveley said.

"I'm sure it will give the entire touring party an enormous boost to play this fixture in front of Lions fans.

"We are very grateful to the Scottish Government for its commitment and support to ensure this fixture would be seen by a live audience."

It is set to be the only 2021 Lions game attended by fans
The Murrayfield clash is set to be the only 2021 Lions game attended by fans (David Davies/PA)

It will be the first time fans have been allowed into Murrayfield for an international match since Scotland's 28-17 victory over France in March last year.

With the size of the crowd smaller than the number of tickets sold, a number of refunds will be issued by May 28, with Government advice deciding who is able to attend the historic showdown with the 2019 World Cup hosts.

It has yet to be decided whether the match will be given Test status, resulting in caps being awarded.

ID:448148:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect4523:
Written by
P A

Coronavirus outbreak - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about British and Irish Lions

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
England head coach Eddie Jones pictured during training on November 11, 2020
Read Next:
Eddie Jones warns England to prepare for "great challenge" in World Cup pool
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool19144147192846
2Arsenal20117239182140
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest1911442619737
4Chelsea20106439241536
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle20105534221235
6Manchester CityMan City2010463627934
7Bournemouth209653023733
8Aston Villa209563032-232
9Fulham207943027330
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2061043029128
11Brentford208393835327
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs20731042301224
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd206592328-523
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham206592439-1523
15Crystal Palace204972128-721
16Everton193881525-1017
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1944113142-1116
18Ipswich TownIpswich2037102035-1516
19Leicester CityLeicester2035122344-2114
20Southampton2013161244-326


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!