2013 lions tour squad

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2013 British & Irish Lions Squad Announced

• Updated: 30th April 2013

British & Irish Lions Head Coach Warren Gatland has announced his squad for the 2013 Lions Tour to Australia this summer with Sam Warburton as captain.

There’s no place for Jonny Wilkinson, Ryan Jones, England captain Chris Robshaw or Ireland captain Rory Best, but there are places for ex-international prop Matt Stevens and rookie winger Sean Maitland.

Warburton becomes the 28th captain of the British & Irish Lions, but only the 4th Welsh captain of the Lions. Gatland said “In the last 12 months the composition of the touring party and the appointment of the captain has created much speculation and debate, and today it is great that we at last announce our captain and players to represent the very best of British & Irish rugby. Being selected as a Lion is a huge honour for a player and marks a major highlight in his career.

“I would particularly like to congratulate Sam who becomes one of the youngest ever Lions captains. We have an existing working relationship through the Wales team and Sam is an impressive individual and natural leader and I look forward to working with him in the coming weeks and on the Tour.”

On becoming Lions captain Warburton said “Being selected as a British & Irish Lions tourist is itself a huge honour and something that I, like all players, have dreamed about. To be asked to lead the Tour as captain to Australia is unbelievable and I am very, very honored to be asked.

“It is a proud honour for me, Cardiff Blues and Wales, and to follow in the steps of former Welsh Lions’ captains such as John Dawes and Phil Bennett is amazing. As the latest custodian I will endeavor to do the very best job I can.

“The Tour to Hong Kong and Australia will be a huge challenge against one of the top three teams in the world. However, I am confident that we have the ambition, talent and attitude to mount a serious challenge against the Wallabies on their home soil and return victorious.” The squad reads as follows:

Tommy Bowe Dan Cole Tom Croft Alex Cuthbert Jonathan Davies Ian Evans Toby Faletau Owen Farrell Ritchie Gray Leigh Halfpenny Dylan Hartley Cian Healy Jamie Heaslip Richard Hibbard Stuart Hogg Gethin Jenkins Adam Jones Alun Wyn Jones Rob Kearney Dan Lydiate Sean Maitland Conor Murray George North Sean O’Brien Paul O’Connell Brian O’Driscoll Geoff Parling Mike Phillips Jamie Roberts Jonny Sexton Matt Stevens Justin Tipuric Manu Tuilagi Mako Vunipola Sam Warburton (c) Ben Youngs Tom Youngs

Check out our full list of squad profiles on our squad page .

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When not writing articles about the latest issues surrounding the game, Ben spends his time worrying about the fortunes of his beloved Saracens. Ben is responsible for overseeing all output from the L-T.com team and often can't help himself from adding his own take on the issues of the day and has to pen his own article to stick his two-penneth in. Ben also runs our travel section and is a font of all knowledge about the tours having travelled as a tourist on all three tours. He can tell you everything you need to know about touring with the British & Irish Lions from how to get there and where to stay, to where you can hang around to spot the players and where you can get the best steaks in town...! Email Ben - [email protected]

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Lions Raw: Forgotten moments from the British & Irish Lions 2013 tour documentary

Sky Sports have been showing all of the Lions tour documentaries from 1997 to 2017 over recent weeks. Here, we pick out some of the memorable moments from the film covering the 2013 tour to Australia

By Sky Sports Rugby Union

Tuesday 2 February 2021 21:17, UK

After being edged out 2-1 in the Test series 12 years earlier, the British & Irish Lions returned to Australia in 2013 celebrating their 125th anniversary.

New Zealander Warren Gatland was now at the helm after serving as forwards coach in South Africa four years ago and it once again proved a close-fought contest between the Lions and the Wallabies.

This time though, it was the tourists who won the series and all of the behind-the-scenes and on-field drama was captured in the 'Lions Raw' documentary.

'Living With The Pride' forgotten moments

• 'Inside the Lions Den' forgotten moments
• 'Up Close And Personal' forgotten moments

Here, we look at some of the memorable moments you may have forgotten…

1. Warburton on captaincy

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Sam Warburton was named as captain for the 2013 tour and the Wales international became the youngest person to skipper the Lions aged just 24.

It goes without saying Warburton was under no illusions about how much an honour it was to lead the team on tour and he gave an insight into how much it meant to him just to be pulling on the shirt as player as well.

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2. The Lions hit the beach

Prior to arriving in Australia, the Lions stopped off in Hong Kong for a match against the Barbarians which saw the squad contend with stifling heat and humid conditions while they were there.

What better way to recover from that after landing in Australia, then, than heading to the beach for a rest and recuperation session before getting down to the hard work?

3. Lions dance-off

One of the great rugby traditions on tour is the fines committee, who are responsible for dolling out punishments for those who infringe the arcane rules governing the squad's conduct.

Early on in the tour, three of the squad had to take the punishment of a performing dance-off - without music - much to the amusement of their fellow tourists.

4. Geech's shirt presentation

It is a regular occurrence for former Lions to present the shirts to the players chosen for the first Test and this time Gatland called on Sir Ian McGeechan to perform the ceremony.

Having served under McGeechan in South Africa, Gatland could hardly think of anyone better to take that role and as usual the iconic Lions player and coach had plenty of words of wisdom too.

5. Zebo's phone call forfeit

Another victim of the fines committee, and this time it was Ireland winger Simon Zebo who fell afoul of them and was given an onerous task.

Zebo was made to call his Munster head coach Rob Penney and ask if he was being considered for the captaincy the following season - although fortunately Penney saw the funny side of it too.

6. The dramatic third Test

The first two Tests of the series had come down to the final plays, with the Lions edging the first 23-21 and Australia squeezing past the tourists in the second 16-15.

As with 12 years prior, it all came down to the deciding Test in Sydney - but this time it was the Lions who emerged victorious with a devastating display inside the final 25 minutes to claim a memorable triumph.

Watch the last of the British & Irish Lions tour documentaries on Sky Sports on Tuesday, February 9. 'Uncovered', which follows the 2017 tour of New Zealand, airs at 10pm on Sky Sports Arena.

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British and Irish Lions 2013: The entire 37-man squad in profile

We assess the squad selected by warren gatland, article bookmarked.

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Warren Gatland has named his Lions squad for this summer's tour of Australia.

Here, we take you through the squad - play-by-player - assessing their selection.

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British and Irish Lions 2013 tour dates

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2013 British and Irish Lions Squad Announced

Great Moscow State Circus

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Lions squad 2013: Sam Warburton fits bill in back row and as the captain

S am Warburton, the first Welshman to go on a Lions tour as captain since Phil Bennett in 1977, wants the 37-man squad to create history in Australia this summer by returning home with a 100% record, something the game's most famous tourists, who are celebrating their 125th anniversary this year, have never achieved.

Warburton is one of 15 Wales players in the squad, one fewer than the 16 who flew out to New Zealand 36 years ago, and his elevation to the captaincy marks a notable end to a season that has been the most oscillatory in his six-year senior career. He started the campaign as the favourite to lead the Lions after leading Wales to the 2012 grand slam but within a few months he was criticised for his performances for Cardiff Blues and there were calls for him to be replaced in the side by Justin Tipuric. After Wales lost their opening Six Nations match to Ireland this year, Warburton missed the next match in Paris through injury and was chosen on the bench against Italy in the third round.

He returned to the side against Scotland, but not as captain, and in the final match against England he preferred not to be given the armband when his successor, Ryan Jones, was ruled out through injury, wanting to have no distractions as he focused on playing out of position at blindside flanker. "Playing for the Lions is something I have aspired to since I was a boy and just to be picked in the squad, never mind as captain, is everything to me," said the 24-year-old, who was first made captain of Wales by the Lions head coach, Warren Gatland, in 2011. "I have always felt that, if I went through my career without playing for the Lions, I would be devastated. When I was first told about the captaincy nine days ago I felt really humble because it is a privilege given to so few rugby players.

"I never thought about the Lions' captaincy during the Six Nations because all that mattered then was my performance and that of the Wales team. I am someone whose priority has always been my role in the side: it was not about lifting the trophy for the second successive year and winning plaudits but beating England."

Warburton will have the experience of two former Lions captains to draw on, Paul O'Connell, the second-row who led the side in South Africa in 2009, and Brian O'Driscoll, the centre who wore the armband for one minute in the 2005 series against New Zealand before suffering a shoulder injury in a tip-tackle and being replaced as captain by Wales's Gareth Thomas.

"It would be stupid of me to ignore two such players," said Warburton. "They will be hugely influential on this tour and as soon as we get together a core leadership group will influence the way the trip goes. They are among 12 players who have been on a Lions tour before and I will make sure that I take advantage of the considerable experience we have in the group."

Gatland considered O'Driscoll and O'Connell for the captaincy but neither has led Ireland this season. "Sam has been the most successful captain in Europe in recent seasons and what was also key was that as we looked at the back row – he was a Test starter," he said. "Sam is a mature, unselfish person who always puts the team before himself."

When Wales were 30-3 down to Ireland after 42 minutes in the opening round of the Six Nations in February, Australia seemed a remote prospect for most of their players but all bar one of the side that started the final match – the fly-half Dan Biggar is the exception – along with the flanker Dan Lydiate, who missed the championship through injury, are on the plane.

"They all deserve their places, said Rob Howley, the Lions attack coach who assumed Gatland's position with Wales this season. "They were facing adversity after the game against Ireland but responded with three away wins and that special day at the Millennium Stadium against England. That performance was telling and their challenge now is to make the Test side."

• Lions tour 2013
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NFL draft has been on tour for a decade and the next stop is Detroit, giving it a shot in spotlight

The NFL Draft has taken its show on the road for a decade, giving cities a chance to be in the spotlight. Detroit is on the clock. (AP video: Mike Householder)

An NFL football draft cleat is displayed near the Spirit of Detroit statue, Friday, April 19, 2024, in Detroit. The draft has taken the show on the road for a decade, giving cities a chance around the country a chance to be in the spotlight. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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FILE - The new 685-foot tall tower under construction on the former Hudson’s site is viewed Friday, July 7, 2023, in Detroit. The NFL football draft has taken the show on the road for a decade, giving cities a chance around the country a chance to be in the spotlight. The Motor City, which was once one of the nation’s largest and most powerful cities, has bounced back from filing for bankruptcy in 2013. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

An NFL football draft jersey is displayed on the Spirit of Detroit statue Friday, April 19, 2024, in Detroit. The draft has taken the show on the road for a decade, giving cities a chance around the country a chance to be in the spotlight. The Motor City, which was once one of the nation’s largest and most powerful cities, has bounced back from filing for bankruptcy in 2013. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

FILE - The refurbished Michigan Central Station is viewed Monday, March 18, 2024, in Detroit. The NFL football draft has taken the show on the road for a decade, giving cities a chance around the country a chance to be in the spotlight. A few miles from the draft which starts Thursday, the long-abandoned train station has undergone a remarkable renovation funded by Ford Motor Co. to transform the 18-story, 113-year-old old train depot from an eyesore to a gem. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

DETROIT (AP) — The NFL draft has taken the show on the road for a decade, giving cities around the country a chance to be in the spotlight.

Detroit is on the clock.

The Motor City, which was once one of the nation’s largest and most powerful cities, has bounced back from filing for bankruptcy in 2013.

Fans driving and flying into town from the league’s other 31 teams will see signs of progress from the symbolic to the significant.

AP AUDIO: NFL draft has been on tour for a decade and the next stop is Detroit, giving it a shot in spotlight.

AP correspondent Mike Hempen reports.

DETROIT is spelled out, each letter standing 10 feet off an embankment alongside a freeway between the airport and downtown, in an art installation that made its debut earlier this month.

A few miles away, the long-abandoned Michigan Central Station has undergone a renovation funded by Ford Motor Co. to transform the 18-story, 113-year-old train depot from an eyesore into a gem.

In the heart of downtown, where the NFL draft will begin Thursday night, a 685-foot-high tower represents the largest construction project in the city in more than a half-century as it rises from the site of the former Hudson’s department store.

With more than 50 million viewers and an expected 400,000 visitors over the three-day event, there will be a chance to change the conversation about the city.

Lions President Rod Wood pitched the city as a draft destination in 2016 and teamed up with the Detroit Sports Commission a year later to submit the formal bid to land the NFL’s annual event that gives fans from each team a jolt of hope.

The Lions and the local sports commission also partnered with Visit Detroit, Dan Gilbert’s real-estate company, Bedrock, and the Detroit Police Department to make the most of the opportunity.

“The draft here in Detroit is going to make a big step for us in making that old image go away and people having the new image of the city,” Gilbert told The Associated Press. “We’re going to be able to showcase Detroit like never before.”

That’s part of the NFL’s plan, and it has led to 20-plus cities vying for a future draft. Green Bay will host next year’s draft.

After the league had its last draft in New York a decade ago, it envisioned giving cities — particularly those in colder climates that may not host a future Super Bowl — a chance to have a signature event that would have a lot of benefits, including an economic impact.

Chicago was the first tour stop in 2015 and it generated $81 million for the community. Kansas City had it last year, sparking $164 million in economic impact.

“Another opportunity for our franchise and our city and just for the world to kind of migrate to downtown Detroit,” said Lions general manager Brad Holmes, who has turned around a franchise that is coming off its best season since winning the 1957 NFL title. “I expect it to be pretty packed. I’m excited for all the businesses.”

Detroit’s draft is expected to bring in at least $160 million, giving small businesses a boost from fans flocking in and around Campus Martius Park.

One longtime business is looking forward to more than just an increase in foot traffic.

Lauren Stovall, the business lead at Hot Sam’s, and two others representing the 103-year-old men’s clothing store and tailor shop will be onstage during the draft’s final day Saturday.

“There’s a perception of Detroit that comes from people who actually have not been here,” Stovall said. “What’s so great is when people actually come to Detroit, they are blown away, because Detroit is not what they might have thought.”

There are new hotels, high-end and trendy restaurants and bars along with a skyscraper nearing completion. Challenges continue to exist in some neighborhoods as the city continues to demolish abandoned houses, including more than 25,000 over the past 10 years. Crime has been trending down and homicides are the lowest since 1966.

“We’re not going to lose our balance patting ourselves on the back,” Detroit Police Chief James White said.

Hundreds of uniformed and plainclothes officers from Detroit, county, state and federal agencies will patrol the greater downtown area. White said all the city’s police officers will work shifts during the draft, some downtown, others in neighborhoods.

Bomb-sniffing dogs and other K-9 teams will be flown into Detroit by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which also has pledged to have its tactical team on standby. Intelligence agents are monitoring social media for any threats.

Mayor Mike Duggan devoted some time during his annual State of the City address Wednesday to talk about the importance of the draft turning a lot of eyes on Detroit. Visitors for the draft are “going to see a very different city,” the mayor promised.

“We have a chance to reintroduce Detroit to America,” Duggan said.

Associated Press writers Corey Williams and Mike Householder contributed to this report.

Follow Larry Lage on X .

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

9 Things to See in Moscow's Red Square

 Sir Francis Canker/Getty Images

In most cases, you'll be entering Red Square from the north, passing landmarks such as the Bolshoi Theatre and Duma parliament building as you make your way southward. Although you don't necessarily have to pass through the Voskresensky (or Resurrection in English) Gates in order to gain access to the square these days, they definitely provide a sense of arrival, to say nothing of the way their left arch frame's St. Basil's Cathedral if you look from just the right angle.

An interesting fact is that while a gate of some kind has stood here since the mid-16th century, the one you currently see wasn't built until 1994, having been destroyed in 1931 so that tanks could enter and exit Red Square during military parades.

St. Basil's Cathedral

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson 

Few sights are as iconic not only of Moscow and Red Square but indeed of Russia than St. Basil's Cathedral, whose colorful, onion-shaped domes are a symbol of the country around the world. Officially known as the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, this church has stood since 1561, which is quite miraculous when you consider all the turbulent history that has transpired since then.

Among other things, religion was severely prohibited during the Soviet period , which led some to believe that this emblem of the Russian Orthodox church might not withstand the tenure of the USSR. 

An interesting fact is that St. Basil's is the so-called "Kilometer Zero" of Russia; all of Moscow's main roads (which can take you anywhere in Russia) begin at the exits to Red Square. In this way, St. Basil's iconic status also has an extremely tangible element.

The Kremlin

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson

When you think of The Kremlin, it's unlikely that positive images enter your mind. The fact that simply saying the word "Kremlin" is too vague a descriptor (most Russian cities have their own Kremlin complexes; you should say "Moscow Kremlin") notwithstanding, this misunderstood place is incredibly beautiful, even if you don't like the policy that comes out of it.

Senate Square

In spite of its name, which refers to the role the building that rises above the square played during Imperial Russia, Senate Square is actually home to Russia's presidential administration, currently helmed by Vladimir Putin. In order to see where Russia's legislature operates from, walk just outside Red Square to the Duma parliament building.

Dormition Cathedral

Dating back to the year 1479, the gold-domed Dormition Cathedral pays homage to an Orthodox religious feast that commemorates the death of the Virgin Mary . As is the case with St. Basil's, it is curious that such a conspicuously religious structure was able to survive through the Soviet period.

Armoury Chamber

Though it takes its name from the fact that it housed Russia's royal arsenal when it was built in the 16th century, the most notable resident of the Kremlin's Armoury Chamber today is the Russian Diamond Fund.

Notable Kremlin Towers

Robert Schrader

The interior of the Moscow Kremlin is more beautiful and inviting than you'd expect, but the walls and towers that rise around it better live up to the intimidation with which the complex is associated. 

Borovitskaya Tower

Named to commemorate the dense forest that once stood atop the mount where it's built, this tower is extremely picturesque. Built in the late 15th century, it's visible from most places in the square, and also as you walk along the Moskva River.

Nikolskaya Tower

Also built in the year 1491, this tower currently suffered destruction at the hands of Napoleon's army in the 19th century. What you see now is the result of an 1816 re-design and renovation, though artillery fire during the Russian Revolution also caused superficial damage to the tower, named to honor St. Nikolas of Mozhaysk , so it's difficult to know which elements of it are original.

Spasskaya Tower

Known in English as the "Savior's Tower," this iconic, star-topped tower is perhaps the best-known of all the Kremlin's towers. Built in 1491 like the other two towers on this list, it's certainly the most photographed. As a result of its proximity to St. Basil's, it often makes its way into tourists' pictures.

Mausoleum of Lenin

Just as it's strange to learn how many religious monuments survived through the Soviet period, it's a bit odd to think that Lenin's preserved body still sits in a mausoleum just beneath the walls of the Kremlin on Red Square, given the lack of consensus about the ultimate impact of his Revolution, even in Russia.

It's not guaranteed that you'll be able to see the body (which, believe it or not, seems to be improving with age ) when you go, and if you do you will likely have to wait in line, but even strolling past the outside of the Lenin Mausoleum, flanked by stone-faced guards that almost look like statues, illuminates the gravity of his body still being here.

GUM Shopping Center

You might cringe, at least initially, when you realize that one of the most iconic stops on a tour of Red Square is a department store—until you see said department store, that is. Built in 1893 and known during Soviet times as the State Department Store, GUM  ( Glávnyj Universáľnyj Magazín​ or Main Universal Store in English) hearkens back to the grandeur of the late 19th century, both seen from the outside (especially, when lit up at night) and the interior, which might have you feeling like you're further west in Europe.

A trip inside GUM is a particularly good idea during winter, when frigid temperatures outside will have you savoring the heat, the quality of souvenirs, confections and other goods sold inside notwithstanding. Also, make sure not to confuse GUM with CDM, which sits near the Bolshoi Theatre, even though both are stunning and iconic in their own right.

State Historical Museum

The Russian State Historical Museum is located near Voskresensky Gates, though you should wait until after you've seen the first few attractions of Red Square and the Kremlin to head back there and go inside. To be sure, as you pass by its facade (whose late-19th century grandeur somewhat obscures that fact that it's currently a museum accessible to the public) you might not even think to try and gain entry.

Once inside the museum, you can plan to spend at least a couple of hours, given that artifacts here date back to the very beginning of the Russian state in the ninth century. As is the case with GUM, this will be a particularly alluring prospect if you visit in winter, when Moscow is arguably at its most beautiful, but certainly at its least tolerable. 

Minin-Pozharsky Monument

It's somewhat easy to disregard this monument, which pays homage to the two Russian princes who ended the so-called "Time of Troubles" in the mid-16th century, during which Polish-Lithuanian forces occupied Russia, among other awful things including a famine. That's because the statue currently sits just at the base of St. Basil's Cathedral, which makes it very difficult to photograph or even see without being overwhelmed by that much more famous edifice.

Though the statue originally sat at the very center of Red Square, it came to be an obstacle to the movement of tanks during the Soviet period, much like the Voskresensky Gates. As a result, authorities moved it during that time, and it's stayed where you currently find it ever since.

Kazan Cathedral

Taken by itself, the smokey-pink Kazan Cathedral is an architectural marvel; originally built in the 17th century, the church you find here today, located just north of the GUM department store, dates back only to 1993.

Unfortunately, since it sits not only in the shadow of GUM, but also in the shadow St. Basil's and the Towers of the Kremlin, it's easy to miss entirely if you aren't looking. As a result, you might wait until you've seen just about everything else in Red Square before coming here to take photos, and to appreciate the understated beauty of this oft-overlooked cathedral.

Moskva River

As you head south from St. Basil's Cathedral to exit Red Square, make sure to walk onto Bolshoy Moskvoretskiy Bridge, which crosses the Moskva River. If you look due north, you can get an excellent shot of the church framed, on the left, by the towers of the Kremlin. Directing your gaze a bit to the west allows you to see the skyscrapers of Moscow City as they rise above the Kremlin's walls.

Walking westward along the riverbank is also a worthwhile excursion, for the views it provides of Red Square and the Kremlin, as well as the fact that doing so takes you to other iconic Moscow attractions, including Gorky Park and the Pushkin Museum. The views you enjoy from the river and the bridge are particularly stunning at night, though you should make sure you bring a tripod if you want to get a clear picture, given how strong winds over and near the river can be.

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