The Lions kick off their first game on Saturday morning against the New Zealand All Blacks.

Farming and sport are well intertwined in Ireland, be it GAA, rugby or soccer.

When Warren Gatland announced his British and Irish Lions squad, The Dealer couldn’t help but note how many of the players had farming connections.

From an Irish rugby point of view, there are two obvious farmers to be named: Rory Best and Seán O’Brien.

Ireland captain Best has his own 220-acre farm and a herd of Angus cattle waiting for him in Co Down. His father and brother also both farm, with 900 acres of tillage and 300 acres of grassland for managing.

Meanwhile, when he’s not in training, Leinster flanker Sean O’Brien can be found on the home farm in Tullow, Co Carlow.

Other Irish players named on the squad include Tadhg Furlong, who comes from a farming background in Campile, Co Wexford, and CJ Stander, who hails from a 500-acre South African dairy farm in the Western Cape.

Also named in the squad is England’s Ben Youngs. He comes from farming stock in Norfolk, where his family farms over 550 acres.

The Lions squad will tour New Zealand this summer, playing three test games against the All Blacks. They will also play a number of other games, where the opposition includes the Maori All Blacks and the Crusaders.

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