Murrayfield to host 16,500 fans for British & Irish Lions curtain-raiser against Japan

The British & Irish Lions will host a crowd of 16,500 at Murrayfield for their curtain-raising Test against Japan before they depart for their tour of South Africa next month.

A crowd of that size – which has been agreed with the Scottish government – means Murrayfield will be approximately a quarter full for the match, which takes place on June 26, the same day as the Premiership final at Twickenham.

Before the match against the World Cup quarter-finalists (the first with a crowd at Murrayfield since the Covid-19 pandemic struck), the Lions will have a training camp in Jersey.

“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,” said Ben Calveley, the Lions’ Managing Director.

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

Meanwhile, contact sport has been suspended in South African schools to limit the spread of Covid-19, just a few weeks before the Lions are due to travel. The tour is currently set to be played behind closed doors.