Northampton Saints duo Dan Biggar and Courtney Lawes named in British and Irish Lions squad for South Africa tour

Northampton Saints duo Dan Biggar and Courtney Lawes have both been named in the British and Irish Lions squad to tour South Africa this summer.

Both players also made the trip to New Zealand four years ago, but Biggar was playing for Welsh club Ospreys at the time.

Fly-half Biggar will become the 26th Saints player in the club’s history to tour with the Lions when he jets off to South Africa to take on the reigning world champions.

Second row Lawes is currently still recovering from a chest injury that ruled him out of the Six Nations earlier this year, but he is expected to return for the Saints before the end of the season.

Saints director of rugby Chris Boyd broke the news to Biggar and Lawes that they’d been selected in front of their club teammates at training on Thursday.

Scotland’s Ali Price. Credit: PA

Meanwhile, Scotland’s King’s Lynn-born scrum-half Ali Price has also been included in the 37-man party.

His inclusion comes after fellow nine Ben Youngs ruled himself out of contention for family reasons.

There was a couple of shocks elsewhere in the squad, with head coach Warren Gatland choosing to pick Exeter’s Sam Simmonds ahead of England number eight Billy Vunipola, while veteran fly-half Johnny Sexton was also overlooked.

British and Irish Lions squad to tour South Africa