The British and Irish Lions squad have received their first coronavirus vaccinations before the summer tour of South Africa.
All members of the travelling party have been vaccinated with the players visiting a site in London on Wednesday to be given the Pfizer jab.
Only Scotland fly-half Finn Russell was missing as he is based at Racing 92 in Paris and has already been vaccinated.
The Lions face South Africa in a three-match Test series in July and August.
The UK government approved the move to protect Warren Gatland’s squad before their visit to South Africa, a red-list destination that is seeing a growing number of coronavirus cases.
The Lions hope all 37 players will get their second vaccinations by the end of their pre-tour training camp in Jersey, which begins on 14 June and leads into the warm-up game against Japan at Murrayfield 12 days later.
Gatland and his management team are already advanced in their vaccination programme.
It is still not known whether the Lions will be required to quarantine for 11 nights in a government-approved hotel when they return from South Africa on August 9.
Discussions over receiving dispensation on the basis they will be operating in a bubble environment are ongoing.
The Lions touring party met up for the first time this week after Gatland named his squad earlier this month.
British and Irish Lions 2021 schedule (all times BST)
26 June – Japan, 15:00 (Murrayfield, Edinburgh)
3 July – Emirates Lions, 17:00 (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
7 July – Cell C Sharks, 19:00 (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
10 July – Vodacom Bulls, 17:00 (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
14 July – South Africa ‘A’ Team, 19:00 (Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town)
17 July – DHL Stormers, 17:00 (Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town)
24 July – First Test v Springboks, 17:00 (Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town)
31 July – Second Test v Springboks, 17:00 (Soccer City, Johannesburg)
7 August – Third Test v Springboks, 17:00 (Soccer City, Johannesburg)
Who is in the British and Irish Lions 2021 squad?
Captain: Alun Wyn Jones (Wal)
Forwards: Tadhg Beirne (Ire), Jack Conan (Ire), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Eng), Tom Curry (Eng), Zander Fagerson (Sco), Taulupe Faletau (Wal), Tadhg Furlong (Ire), Jamie George (Eng), Iain Henderson (Ire), Jonny Hill (Eng), Maro Itoje (Eng), Wyn Jones (Wal), Courtney Lawes (Eng), Ken Owens (Wal), Andrew Porter (Ire), Sam Simmonds (Eng), Rory Sutherland (Sco), Justin Tipuric (Wal), Mako Vunipola (Eng), Hamish Watson (Sco).
Backs: Josh Adams (Wal), Bundee Aki (Ire), Dan Biggar (Wal), Elliot Daly (Eng), Gareth Davies (Wal), Owen Farrell (Eng), Chris Harris (Sco), Robbie Henshaw (Ire), Stuart Hogg (Sco), Conor Murray (Ire), Ali Price (Sco), Louis Rees-Zammit (Wal), Finn Russell (Sco), Duhan van der Merwe (Sco), Anthony Watson (Eng), Liam Williams (Wal).
Who are the British and Irish Lions 2021 coaches?
Head coach: Warren Gatland
Assistant coaches: Gregor Townsend, Robin McBryde, Steve Tandy, Neil Jenkins.
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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