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The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national team, although they can pick uncapped players who are eligible for any of the four unions. The team currently tours every four years, with these rotating between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in order. The most recent test series, the 2021 series against South Africa, was won 2–1 by South Africa.
Ivanhoe: A Romance by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. Set in England in the Middle Ages, this novel marked a shift away from Scott’s prior practice of setting stories in Scotland and in the more recent past. Ivanhoe became one of Scott’s best-known and most influential novels.
Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly 50 years. His theatre work included notable performances in productions of the plays of Shakespeare and Shaw, and his film work included leading roles in several adapted literary classics.
Richard Andrew Robinson OBE is an English rugby union coach and retired player. He was the director of rugby at Bristol until November 2016. He is the former head coach of Scotland and England. From September 2019 to December 2022, he was the head coach of the Romania's national rugby team.
The England national rugby union team represents England in men's international rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. England have won the championship on 29 occasions, winning the Grand Slam 13 times and the Triple Crown 26 times, making them the most successful outright winners in the tournament's history. They are currently the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup, having won the tournament in 2003, and have been runners-up on three other occasions.
The Scotland national rugby union team represents Scotland in men's international rugby union and is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The team takes part in the annual Six Nations Championship, where they are the current Calcutta Cup holders. They also participate in the Rugby World Cup, which takes place every four years.
The South Africa national cricket team, also known as the Proteas, represent South Africa in men's international cricket and is administered by Cricket South Africa (CSA). South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), with Test, One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) status. Its nickname derives from South Africa's national flower, Protea cynaroides, commonly known as the "King Protea".
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The current name was adopted in 2021 when the league expanded to include four South African teams previously from the SANZAR Super Rugby competition. The league is one of the three major professional leagues in Europe, the most successful teams from which go forward to compete in the European Rugby Champions Cup. Since 2022–23, despite the name, South African teams have been eligible to qualify for European competition, and one South African place is guaranteed.
Nathan Hines is an Australian-born former rugby union and rugby league footballer. He played at international level for Scotland, winning 77 caps, and at club level for Edinburgh, Perpignan, and Clermont Auvergne among others. He also played rugby league.
Gregor Peter John Townsend, is a Scottish rugby union coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Scotland national team having previously been an assistant coach from 2009 to 2012. As a player, he won 82 caps for Scotland and two for the British and Irish Lions. He is a former coach of Glasgow Warriors and was a player-coach for Border Reivers. As well as in Scotland, he played club rugby in Australia, England, France and South Africa. As coach of Scotland, his team won at Twickenham for the first time in 38 years in 2021. Townsend was selected as attack coach for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.
Michael Robert Leighton Blair is a Scottish rugby union coach who was formerly a professional player. He is the head coach of Edinburgh. He played at scrum-half for Glasgow Warriors, Newcastle Falcons, CA Brive and Edinburgh Rugby. He represented the Scotland national side 85 times, as well as the touring with the British & Irish Lions in 2009. He retired from playing on 21 April 2016 aged 35. He then became an assistant coach with Glasgow Warriors and then an assistant coach of the Scottish national team. He was the first Scottish player to be nominated for the title of IRB World Player of the Year.
Dean Furman is a South African professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for English side Warrington Rylands 1906. He has previously played for Scottish Premiership side Rangers, English League Two side Bradford City, League One sides Oldham Athletic and Doncaster Rovers, and South African Premier Soccer League side SuperSport United.
Cédric Heymans is a French former rugby union footballer who played mainly as a wing or a full-back for French Top 14 club Toulouse and the France national team.
John Davison Hewie was a South African-born Scottish international footballer, who spent most of his career with Charlton Athletic.
Deon Carstens, is a former South African rugby union footballer. He played rugby for the Sharks and Stormers in Super Rugby and for Sharks and Western Province in the Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup competitions. He also played for Saracens in the English Premiership.
Cédric Bakambu is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Super League Greece club Olympiacos.
Cornell du Preez is a South African-born rugby union player. His regular playing positions are Flanker, No 8 and currently loose forward, he plays for Toulon in the Top 14 and represents Scotland internationally.
Tommaso Allan is an Italian professional rugby union player who primarily plays fly-half for Harlequins of the English Premiership. He has also represented Italy at international level, having made his test debut against Australia during the 2013 Autumn Internationals. Allan has previously played for Perpignan and Benetton.
Pierre Schoeman is a South African rugby union player. He plays for Edinburgh Rugby in the United Rugby Championship and for Scotland internationally. His regular position is loosehead prop.
Huw Richard Forbes Jones is a Scottish international rugby union player who plays as a centre, although he can also play as a full-back or winger. He is in his second spell playing for Glasgow Warriors, having spent the 2021-22 season playing in England for Harlequins.
