'Our former Aussie': Ground announcer trolls 'southern hemisphere' Lions before kickoff
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The ground announcer at the tour game between the British and Irish Lions and Super Rugby side Western Force in Perth has poked fun at the international origins and past allegiances of several Lions players.
As the announcer introduced the visiting side ahead of kick-off, they humorously claimed several players as "former" southerners.
Refusing to let the players' shifts in allegiances slide, the announcer singled out four in the Lions' 23.
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Mack Hansen of the British and Irish Lions in action. Getty
"Our former Aussie at No. 14, Mack Hansen," they said as they announced the visiting team.
"Another Aussie at No. 12, Sione Tuipulotu.
"At No.11, it's the Kiwi now Irishman, James Lowe.
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James Lowe of British & Irish Lions offloads on the way to setting up his side's fourth try. Getty
"At prop, the former SA schoolboy now Scotsman, Pierre Schoeman."
The Lions squad contains eight southern hemisphere players, including three Australians, three New Zealanders and two South Africans.
The cheeky act did not go unnoticed inside Optus Stadium or online.
"Top trolling from the Australian team announcer in Perth," Daily Mail UK rugby correspondent Nik Simon wrote on X.
The light-hearted banter kicks off a five-week tour of Australia, including three Test matches and six tour games.
Hansen, who was born in Canberra, now plays for Ireland due to his bloodlines, though the announcer still wanted to claim him as one of our own.
Similar to Hansen, Tuipulotu was born in Melbourne but now captains Scotland through his grandmother.
Lowe is a Kiwi but began representing Ireland in 2020.
Lions wingers Hansen and Lowe had superb games in the 54-7 Lions win on Saturday night, setting up multiple tries.
Schoeman is also from South Africa but now plays for Scotland.
Finlay Bealham is also from Australia, Jamison Gibson-Park and Bundee Aki are from New Zealand, and Duhan Van der Merwe is from South Africa.
Earlier this week, Lions assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth hit back at a throwaway reference to the squad's large contingent of southern hemisphere players from Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt.
