Join us for a prestigious rugby sporting lunch at the 5* Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane. Our British and Irish Lions Tour Preview will feature the final warm-up match between the British Lions and a world class ACT Brumbies side.
The Aussies will be desperate to gain a psychological and physical edge over the touring team, in what is by far the most important examination before the First Test the following week!
With a panel of Lions legends, one representative for each of the four nations, who between them have featured in no less than eleven Lions squads, this is a rugby event not to be missed! England’s World Cup winner and 85 cap veteran, Lawrence Dallaglio, will be joined by two-time Lions Tour captain, Sam Warburton and legendary Irish fly half, Ronan O’Gara. Our British and Irish Lions Tour Rugby Sporting Lunch kicks off with breakfast rolls on arrival, a delicious three course lunch, the full match live on the giant screens, five hour complimentary bar, and the chance to hear from our panel of Lions legends, this is an event for the rugby connoisseur!
Lawrence Dallaglio
Lawrence Dallaglio is one of the best players to ever wear an England shirt. A Rugby World Cup winner and a five-time Premiership champion with his beloved Wasps, he’s also played on three British and Irish Lions tours and is a member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2016. During his distinguished career, he won 85 caps for England between 1995 and 2007, winning the Six Nations Championship four times (including one Grand Slam) and, most famously of all, the Rugby World Cup in 2003.
Lawrence holds a rare distinction in the game because he’s one of only a handful of players who have won both the Rugby World Cup and the World Cup Sevens, alongside England team-mate Matt Dawson. Due to his stellar performances for England, he was selected on three successive British and Irish Lions tours, starting every game in South Africa in 1997 as the Lions triumphed 2-1. Sadly, injuries cut short both his 2001 and 2005 Tours, but he is one of the few men to be selected for three Lions squads.
Sam Warburton
Sam Warburton is one of the finest Welsh forwards to ever step onto a rugby field. A talisman for the Cardiff Blues, Wales and the British and Irish Lions, he was a formidable flanker who won 74 caps for the Dragons, including captaining his country a record 49 times, before his retirement from rugby at just 29 due to the wear and tear of world class rugby. A British & Irish Lions legend, he was selected as captain in both the 2013 and 2017 Tours, playing in 5 of the 6 Test matches in all, leading the side to a 2-1 victory over Australia, then an arguably even more impressive 1-1 draw with the mighty All Blacks. Sam also captained Wales to the Grand Slam in the 2012 Six Nations championship, following up the following year by again winning the title. Across almost a decade, he represented the Cardiff Blues more than 100 times and he helped the side capture the European Rugby Challenge Cup. Since retirement Sam has appeared regularly as a commentator and analyst for international rugby.
Ronan O’Gara
A three Tour Lions veteran, Ronan O’Gara was one of the world’s finest fly halfs for over a decade. Picked for the 2001 Tour to Australia, he was victim of a cowardly assault by Duncan McRae in the ACT Brumbies match, which saw the Australian banned for 7 weeks. He won his first full Lions cap in the 2005 Tour in New Zealand, and a second in South Africa in 2009, finishing that Tour with 49 points in 5 matches. A Six Nations icon, his drop goal in the 77th minute of the winner-takes-all showdown with Wales in final game of the 2009 Championship secured a famous victory in Cardiff, as Ireland landed their first Grand Slam for 61 years. Ronan’s legacy is hugely impressive, with the fly-half racking up a number of records during his illustrious 13-year career at the top. He remains Ireland’s second-most capped player of all-time with 128 appearances while he was also top points scorer with 1,083 until overtaken by Johnny Sexton at the 2023 World Cup.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel London, Park Lane
Amongst London’s finest, the 5* Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane is one of the capital’s most prestigious addresses. Over the years the Hotel has hosted some of the capital’s largest and most unique events including the world’s oldest charitable ball, the Royal Caledonian Ball, and many big TV Awards ceremonies including the Royal Television Society and the Broadcast Awards. Between 2004 and 2008 a massive renovation project restored the ‘Grand Dame of Park Lane’ to her former glory; the magnificent Great Room will be the setting for our event, the largest facility at the hotel, where guests will enjoy the catering and service for which it is rightly renowned.
Pete Graves
A passionate Newcastle Utd fan, Pete has enjoyed a swift rise through the broadcasting ranks to become one of the most recognisable faces on Sky Sports. After leaving university, Pete started his broadcasting career with the hospital radio show Radio Tyneside, before working in the local Metro Radio, and then ITV Tyneside as a sports reporter. Since 2009 he has worked at Sky Sports, mainly as a presenter, where his passion for sport and all-round sports knowledge are amongst his greatest assets. Pete has become a much-valued member of our team at our many lunch and dinner events, we are delighted to be in his safe hands once more!
For more information on our British and Irish Lions Tour Preview Lunch, please click here
