HSBC Legends of the Lions

Lions past and present will be giving their thoughts on former glories and future aspirations in a series of HSBC Lions Legends lunches and dinners in the lead up to the summer tour of Hong Kong and Australia.

Triple tourists Jeremy Guscott and Will Grenwood kicked things off earlier this month when they joined Lions head coach Warren Gatland and tour manager Andy Irvine in London and a whole host of other big names will be following suit in Cardiff, Dublin and Edinburgh in March and April.

Scott Quinnell and Gareth Edwards take on the mantle at the Cardiff City Hall on March 15; Donal Lenihan and Fergus Slattery provide Irish representation at the Round House six days later; and Gavin Hastings and special guests will talk all things Lions at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in the Scottish capital on April 18.

We then head back to London for a final offering before the squad depart for the 125th anniversary adventure, with a packed guest list set to celebrate all things Lions.

You can get involved with the celebrations by booking your place through lionstour.com and you can also catch up with all the photos and gossip from the events by following us on facebook and on twitter.

We’ve posted a photo album from the opening event to the official Lions facebook page and we’ll be doing the same after the four remaining lunches and dinners.

Warren Gatland and Andy Irvine gave an insight into their thinking at the first event in London

As well as discussing what lies ahead Down Under, 1989, 1993 and 1997 Lion Guscott and ’97, 2001 and 2005 tourist Greenwood assessed the English contribution to the world's most-famous touring team, with guests then debating their top 10 English Lions of all time.

Hosted by television and radio presenter John Inverdale, Guscott and Greenwood were interviewed for just under an hour about their Lions experiences, with both going into great detail about what makes the Lions so special.

The pair spoke about their standout memories, including Guscott’s series-winning drop goal 16 years ago and Greenwood’s near-death experience when he swallowed his tongue against Orange Free State on the same tour.

Gatland and Irvine then gave an insight into what the class of 2013 have learnt from past adventures, with both men insisting that the latest pride of Lions will look to build on the traditions and achievements of the past.

And with selection dilemmas currently the talk of the town up and down Britain and Ireland, coach and manager admitted they are continually discussing their options but will ultimately face an incredibly tough decision when it comes to naming the final party at the end of April.

HSBC Legends of the Lions lunch and dinner series

Upcoming events

March 15 – Cardiff City Hall, Cardiff – Scott Quinnell and Gareth Edwards
March 21 – Round House, Dublin – Donal Lenihan and Fergus Slattery
April 18 – Sheraton Grand Hotel, Edinburgh – Gavin Hastings and special guests
May 3 – The Brewery, London – FINALE EVENT – Celebrating all that is great about the Lions