The 1974 British & Irish Lions will forever hold a unique place in sporting history – and, 50 years on, 18 members of the famous squad came together to in an emotional reunion.
Led by captain Willie John McBride CBE, more than half of the playing squad joined forces near Belfast for the Million Pound Lunch – organised by Wooden Spoon – to celebrate the Lions’ only unbeaten Tour.
McBride and his team travelled to South Africa, to take on one of the world’s great rugby nations and, from mid-May to late July, won 21 matches out of 21, including the first three Tests to secure the series victory over the Springboks – a first in the 20th century.
All that remained was for the Lions to get up for one final game, the fourth Test in Johannesburg, which they drew 13-13. They were christened the Invincibles and became instant stars.
Every Lions team is special, but only one from the last century can claim to be invincible.
This is the 1974 Lions side, led by Willie John McBride, that played 22, won 21, drew 1, and lost 0 in South Africa.
It’s a journey that started #OnThisDay, May 15, with an opening… pic.twitter.com/Ih4eoaljcV
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) May 15, 2024
The lunch was organised to mark a celebration of a major fundraising milestone (£1 million) for the Ulster region of Wooden Spoon and the players travelled from across the British Isles to reflect on one of the greatest ever achievements in rugby.
The June 20 event at Hastings Culloden Hotel saw the likes of McBride, Sir Gareth Edwards, Sir Ian McGeechan, Fran Cotton, Roger Uttley and Mike Gibson come together, with guest speaker Martin Bayfield.
“We had some real legends of the game all in the one room,” said Peter Wood – the chair of Wooden Spoon Ulster, who organised the day.
“When I made my speech, I said ‘today, ladies and gentlemen, this is a historical event. Not because of us at Wooden Spoon, but because we have so many of this old team in one place at one time’.
“They are the godfathers of modern rugby. They are held up very high, it is like the 1966 England World Cup team. It has never been repeated, and may never be. That is the analogy I always use.”
The 1974 Lions last met 10 years ago, but sadly some members of the playing party have since passed – and the likes of JPR Williams, JJ Williams, Phil Bennett and Sandy Carmichael were fondly remembered.
Just as he was a player, McBride was at the heart of proceedings. The 84-year-old is the president of Wooden Spoon Ulster and has worked alongside Wood for more than two decades.
“It is a lovely combination event, we celebrated two great achievements,” Wood added.
“It is 50 years since that team and to celebrate £1m raised by our branch is very special for us. Our president is Willie John, so it all fell into place.
“We also had people who didn’t come 10 years ago. That time, we did two dinners – one in Belfast and one in Dublin – but it is just one this time.
“This has taken up 18 months of my life. I started contacting the Lions that long ago, and that is probably why we have got so many of them.
“If you are talking about people like Ian McGeechan, Franny Cotton and Andy Irvine, they are all very busy guys and have a lot of commitments.
“Sir Ian missed the last one, he went on a speaking engagement to the Far East and when I met him not long after, he said it was the biggest mistake of his life. It gave him the opportunity to see them again.”
The Million Pound Lunch raised funds that will help support Wooden Spoon Ulster’s ongoing projects, such as a new cabin for Ballymena Bears Disability Tag rugby club, and a sensory room at Belfast Children’s hospice.
Wood added: “I got involved on the periphery in 1996, joined the committee in 1999, so this is my 25th anniversary.
“Willie John is our USP. The other person who was involved as joint-President for some time was Dr Jack Kyle, a 1950 Lion.
“He was a treat to deal with, he was a gent. And so were The 1974 Lions. They’re special players, and special men.”
