THE BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS were formed in 1888 before a tour to Australia and New Zealand. It was a mainly English squad and it wasn't until 1899 that the party had players from all four home nations. The 1910 tour to South Africa marked the official beginning for the Lions, although they would be known as the British Isles until 1924. 

The 1950s was a glittering decade and the side won the majority of their games. They weren't as successful during 1960s, but the 1970s saw a return to form with scintillating but brutal tours to South Africa in 1974 and New Zealand in 1977. 

The team's successes and failures in the 1980s are chronicled in detail but, despite some well-received tours, the Lions as a sporting fixture seemed to be past its sell-by date. Then, in 1997, the team won a series against South Africa, then world champions, and rekindled interest in the spectacle.