A decision over whether the British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa can go ahead this summer is set to be made within the next month, but the prospects look bleak after a spike in Covid-19 cases and the emergence of a new variant of the virus. The Times reported this week that problems were looming for the Lions after the number of coronavirus cases in South Africa rocketed past one million and direct flights to the UK were blocked by the government. The Foreign Office advises against visiting South Africa, where a vaccination programme will reportedly not begin until the middle of the year, which is understood to be a key issue. Despite the lucrative broadcasting and commercial revenues it would generate, the

Source: The Times January 02, 2021 00:22 UTC