'Scandalous' video of Lions players flying conditions goes viral

A viral video over the weekend has shed light on the cramped conditions that some Lions rugby players have had to endure when travelling to Europe.

The video appears to show two forwards from the South African URC side – 203cm Reinhard Nothnagel and 198cm Ruben Schoeman – sitting in economy-class seats with their legs pointing out the sides due to a lack of space.

The clip was apparently taken on trip the Lions made to play Benetton in Italy at the end of March and isn’t from this weekend’s Challenge Cup match with Glasgow. The video has since been widely shared on social media, with many expressing concern for the well-being of the players featured.

The video sparked a debate about the treatment of professional athletes, particularly in the rugby industry. The Lions players in question were likely already tired and potentially injured after their match, making the cramped conditions even more challenging for them.

While the players clearly see the funny side of it, it depicts the reality of travel for big-body rugby players in an industry where international air travel is a significant cost.

Rugby youtuber Riaan Louw, who posted the Tik Tok video on Twitter, wrote: “Who needs legs to beat Leinster this Saturday?”

Who needs legs to beat Leinster this Saturday? ???#LIOvLEI #lions4bloodclots pic.twitter.com/I6DGJlKxb3

— Riaan Louw (@Ringo26) April 9, 2023

One fan wrote: “Bloody ridiculous. Being treated like 2nd class citizens. Wonder if Quins and Racing had to fly economy last week,” while another simply wrote ‘Scandalous’.

Another made a counter-argument, blaming the Lions for the less-than-ideal conditions for the players: “SA teams made the decision to join the ‘European’ circuit, and if your clubs are too cheap to fly their players in business that’s their problem. Doubt you had any issues with Glasgow having to play the Lions in SA with 17 players missing on Scotland duty.”

Given a business class flight from Glasgow to Johannesburg – for example – costs in the region of £4,000 one way, the total cost of flying a 23-man rugby team would be in excess of £90,000 – an amount few rugby union sides could afford. In contrast, an economy seat is as little as £250.

Indeed the video plays into a narrative this weekend around SA sides competing in Europe, with some fans suggesting the onerous travelling requirements mean Saffa sides are at a significant disadvantage when competing in Europe on away days.