British and Irish Lions players have warned future tours are under threat unless the domestic season is cut short.
Lions veteran Scott Gibbs and team-mate Neil Jenkins said the series defeat in Australia was a tour too far for many of the squad, coming at the end of a gruelling northern hemisphere winter season.
"We were undone in the end because of our overloaded domestic fixture list which starts in the middle of August and goes on until the following June," Gibbs told the Guardian.
"As players we have to make a stand and look to bang a few heads together.
"It is no use complaining about the injured players who tried to push themselves through the six weeks, we have to make sure it does not happen again otherwise the Lions could well cease to roar," he added.
Gibbs comments were echoed by England and fellow Lions tourist Matt Dawson.
"Some of the players were playing their 40th or 50th games of the season and were simply not at their peak," said the scrum-half.
Jenkins said he feared younger players like star flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson could suffer burn-out unless moves were made to cut the length of the season.
"Players have to start putting themselves first because nobody else is. Unless they do, the Lions could become history," he said.
AFP