SYDNEY (Reuters) - Rugby Australia aim to put together a team of Indigenous Australians and players with Pacific islands heritage to plug the gap in the British and Irish Lions schedule left by the demise of the Melbourne Rebels, CEO Phil Waugh has said.
The Rebels Super Rugby team went into voluntary administration in January with debts of over A$20 million ($13 million) and were shuttered in June, leaving the Lions with no opposition for their June 22 tour match in Melbourne.
"Given the popularity of rugby in the Pacific Island communities was one point, and the connection to the Victorian rugby community in Melbourne was another really important element," Waugh told the Sydney Morning Herald in Britain.
"And we also have some great talent with First Nations heritage. So it was a matter of how do we will pull those ideas together to make a very special game in a massive tour?
"The preference will be to have Australian-eligible players of Pacific and First Nations backgrounds, and high-profile players to drive a high level of interest."
The Lions will play an ANZAC invitational side in Adelaide on July 12 in their penultimate tour game before the three-test series.
Waugh said he was starting to contact New Zealanders unlikely to be playing for the All Blacks in their July series against France.
"We certainly want to get some high-profile Kiwi players, and given France are in New Zealand then, the sensible place to test some conversations would be the New Zealand players who are offshore," he said.
"We are starting to engage with some clubs and players."
Waugh said Australia's successful start to their end-of-season tour of Europe was assuaging fears that the Wallabies would be uncompetitive against the Lions and raising interest in the remaining tickets.
"Clearly the England game was important and the convincing win against Wales gives more interest and confidence for touring Lions supporters about a strong series, and Wallabies supporters at home as well," he said.
The Lions will play six tour matches in Australia and tests in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney from June 28 to August 2 next year.
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(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Lincoln Feast.)
