British and Irish Lions coach Clive Woodward has defended his decision to take 45 players and almost as many back-room staff on their tour of New Zealand.

The size of Woodward's party has become a water-cooler topic in New Zealand, with his support staff including a legal advisor and a referee.

"I think the bigger picture is that every four years, bringing together all four countries and the coaches from those countries is a huge bonus for British and Irish rugby," Woodward said.

"The same applies for the players. Even if they weren't to play on this trip, just to come here and experience New Zealand rugby and the Lions is a trip of a lifetime."

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.