Eight Irish players have been included in the British & Irish Lions Squad for the 2021 tour to South Africa. Three backs - Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw and Conor Murray - and five forwards - Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Tadhg Furlong, Iain Henderson and Andrew Porter - have made Warren Gatland's squad. https://twitter.com/IrishRugby/status/1390282857885667331?s=20 "We believe we’ve picked a squad capable of winning a Test series in South Africa," said Gatland.

"Selecting a Lions squad is never easy and, in many ways, this has been the most challenging selection I have been involved in. Over the course of the last three weeks the coaches and I have rigorously debated each position. We saw some outstanding performances in the recent Six Nations, so competition for places has been tough with some incredibly tight calls to make.

"However, we are very happy with the squad we have assembled and look forward to meeting up in Jersey in just over a month’s time to start our preparation to take on the World Champions. We've left out some very talented players which gives an indication to the strength of this squad and we know how important that stand-by list will be. "Being selected for a Lions Tour is the greatest honour for a British and Irish player and I congratulate everyone named today."

British & Irish Lions 2021 Tour To South Africa

Backs (16)

Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby, Wales) – Wing Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby, Ireland) – Centre Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints, Wales) – Fly-half #821 Elliot Daly (Saracens, England) – Centre #822 Gareth Davies (Scarlets, Wales) – Scrum-half Owen Farrell (Saracens, England) – Fly-half #780 Chris Harris (Gloucester Rugby, Scotland) – Centre Robbie Henshaw (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) – Centre #824 Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs, Scotland) – Full-back #783 Conor Murray (Munster Rugby, Ireland) – Scrum-half #790 Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland) – Scrum-half Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester Rugby, Wales) – Wing Finn Russell (Racing 92, Scotland) – Fly-half #835 Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland) – Wing Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, England) – Wing #816 Liam Williams (Scarlets, Wales) – Full-back #833

Forwards (21)

Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby, Ireland) – Second row Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) – Back row Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, England) – Hooker Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, England) – Back row Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland) – Prop Taulupe Faletau (Bath Rugby, Wales) – Back row #779 Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) – Prop #818 Jamie George (Saracens, England) – Hooker #819 Iain Henderson (Ulster Rugby, Ireland) – Second row #808 Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs, England) – Second row Maro Itoje (Saracens, England) – Second row #825 Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, Wales) (Captain) – Second row #761 Wyn Jones (Scarlets, Wales) – Prop Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, England) – Second row #826 Ken Owens (Scarlets, Wales) – Hooker #829 Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) – Prop Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs, England) – Back row Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland) – Prop Justin Tipuric (Ospreys, Wales) – Back row #786 Mako Vunipola (Saracens, England) – Prop #787 Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland) – Back row