2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa

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The 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa ran from 26 June to 7 August 2021. The Lions, a team made up of players eligible from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, played a three-test series against South Africa plus several tour matches against South African franchises and SA A. The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruption, with matches played behind closed doors and many schedule changes. Before travelling to South Africa, the Lions beat Japan in a warm-up match at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.

Leadership and squad
Warren Gatland was the head coach, and Alun Wyn Jones of Wales started as captain. He dislocated a shoulder in the home match against Japan on 26 June and initially withdrew from the tour, with Conor Murray taking over captaincy in his absence. Jones returned to the squad on 14 July. The touring squad began as 37 players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with several changes made along the way due to injuries and form.

COVID-19 and schedule changes
The tour was heavily affected by the pandemic. To reduce travel, all eight planned matches were moved to four venues in Gauteng and Cape Town. A game against an SA Invitational side was replaced by a match against the South African Lions franchise, and a match against the Bulls was cancelled after positive COVID tests, with the Sharks added in its place. On 20 July, the second and third tests were moved from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

The on-pitch action
- Warm-up: The Lions beat Japan in Scotland, in a match they treated as an international fixture rather than a test.
- Tour matches: The Lions won all of their tour games against South African franchises but lost to SA A.
- Test series: The three-test series against South Africa ended with South Africa winning 2–1.
- First test: Lions won 22–17.
- Second test: South Africa won 27–9.
- Third test: South Africa won 19–16 with a late winning penalty.

Top performers
- Top point scorer: Dan Biggar (47 points)
- Top try scorer: Josh Adams (8 tries)

Key notes
- Alun Wyn Jones began as captain but was sidelined early; Conor Murray captained in his absence, with Jones returning mid-tour.
- This was Warren Gatland’s third consecutive Lions tour as head coach, a rare achievement.
- The tour took place largely without fans and with a tightly controlled, travel-light schedule to cope with the pandemic.

Outcome
South Africa clinched the series 2–1, bringing the Lions’ 2021 tour to a close with a hard-fought, pandemic-impacted campaign.