The tour reports

In researching and writing The LIONS: The Complete History of the British and Irish Rugby Union Team, author David Walmsley has been granted access to the archives of the Lions' organisation and permission to use material from a dozen tour reports written by the team's managers, and later coaches, between 1950 and 2001.

The majority of these documents have never been published before and add another unique element to this remarkable book.

Lions managers may have been diplomats in the presence of their hosts, but when they sat down in front of the typewriter, they invariably told their masters on the Four Home Unions tours committee exactly what they really thought.

The tour reports also provide a rare insight into the planning of and philosophy behind Lions ventures, and how they have changed over the years. Use the link below to get an insight into the thoughts and reactions of the Lions managers of the post-war age.

Read extracts from the official tour reports.