Duane Vermeulen. (Gallo Images)

• Springbok star Duane Vermeulen appreciates the difficult decision that awaits SA Rugby on this year’s British & Irish Lions tour.
• While he’d prefer the series to happen in South Africa, SA Rugby’s Player of the Year says the Springboks would be willing to play anywhere.
• Vermeulen also believes the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic has made local players adaptable to any quick changes in planning.

Duane Vermeulen, SA Rugby’s Player of the Year, admits that the decision on this year’s British & Irish Lions tour will be a “difficult one”.

The local governing body and its Lions counterparts are currently scrambling to find a solution to make the series commercially viable, with the United Kingdom currently a favoured contingency plan due to its proximity and the prospect of fans being allowed back into stadiums.

Australia, which has reportedly provided a financial guarantee, and the UAE have also been touted as potential hosts.

A final decision on the status of the tour is only expected at the end of the month. 

First prize for the Springbok stalwart and prolific Bulls skipper though would be a fully-fledged tour on African soil, though the spectre of a third wave of Covid-19 infections and government lockdown regulations would prevent live attendance of matches.

“It’s a difficult one,” Vermeulen told a media briefing on Thursday following his accolade.

“Obviously, we would love to have the British and Irish Lions in South Africa. You only get them every 12 years.

“For our economy, the masses of people that could be coming into South Africa, spending some pounds in the country on the wine farms and tourism, it would be a pity if it doesn’t happen in South Africa.”

Rassie Erasmus, the national director of rugby, in January insisted that – at least from a player and coach perspective – that the Springboks would even accept “Option Z” if it meant they could fulfil the series.

“Any option we can get not to lose the series, we’d take,” he said.

“From a rugby perspective, I can tell you we’re willing to do anything.”

Vermeulen reiterated that view, noting that all of South Africa’s players have dealt with enough disruption over the past year to be able to change circumstances in a short space of time.

That would include sacrificing home-ground advantage to face the Lions in Cardiff, Dublin and London.

“Obviously, we need to adapt. In the past two years we have tried to adapt to all the different scenarios the pandemic has thrown at us,” said Vermeulen.

“If it happens and we have to go play there, then we can’t really do anything about it.”

Interestingly, the 33-year-old No 8 also intimated a growing sense that the series simply must happen, regardless of its form.

“We haven’t played any Springbok rugby for the past couple of years. If we can play, it doesn’t matter where we can play, as long as we are playing, that would be a positive for SA Rugby.”