Around 25,000 British and Irish Lions supporters have descended on Auckland ahead of the final Test against the All Blacks, filling campervans and hotels as they prepare for what is being billed as one of the greatest rugby clashes in recent history. The red-clad fans have been soaking up the atmosphere, with many arriving in campervans parked in suburban parks, paying NZ$100 (£56) per van per night.
The Lions four nations choir has been performing throughout the tour, facing challenging weather conditions from blustery southerlies to horizontal rain. On Thursday night, they sang 'The Fields of Athenry' as the team marched by in maroon blazers, with some players stopping to join in. Choir member Mark Burrow expressed optimism: 'Whatever the outcome, we’ve got a little bit more hope now and the Lions have raised their game.'
Campervan dwellers like Nick and Vanessa Francis from south Wales have been saving for years for the trip, using a whisky bottle to collect £2 coins over five years, amassing nearly £3,000. Nick Francis noted the passion of local rugby fans: 'In New Zealand 95% of the population follow rugby. Wherever we have been, Kiwis come up to us and launch straight into rugby talk.'
At O'Hagan's bar near the waterfront, hundreds have been gathering from breakfast time. Duty manager Callum Brydon said drinking laws are stricter in New Zealand, requiring him to cut off Lions fans earlier, but there has been no real trouble. 'It has been chaos for weeks, but fun,' he added. 'If the Lions lose, I don’t think it will disappoint the fans too much. Winning one was a stellar effort.'
New Zealand police reported that the tour has been largely disorder-free, with only ten arrests at nine matches. However, a teenage girls' acrobatics team reported being verbally abused by Lions fans in Auckland two weeks ago, leading to the cancellation of their second performance due to health and safety concerns. Police said no similar incidents have been reported elsewhere.
