Wildlife, wine and rugby, anticipating the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa in 2021, David McGill explores why he would like to be one of the pride.

Such tours come around every four years and despite the advent of professionalism in the game they have become shorter. South Africa, the “Rainbow Nation” as described by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the post apartheid era is a vast country full of different cultures and experiences.

The ideal holiday destination, it offers virtually everything a traveller could wish for. Sport, food and drink, and abundant wildlife all set in stunning scenery. From the high veldt to the coastal regions South Africa has something for everyone. Adrenaline junkies can get a high or perhaps a low depending on how you view it from bungee jumping off Boukrans Bridge, a 216m drop. Cage diving with great white sharks off the coast near Gaansbai is another activity. The latter appeals to me, but bungee jumping? Definitely a “no”!

As dusk falls a glass or two of Franschhoek’s finest wine serves as an ideal sundowner as visitors gather around a camp fire waiting for a steak to cook on a braai. What wildlife will appear before us tonight at the waterhole? Lion or an elusive rhino perhaps? The beauty of South Africa not only encompasses food and drink but the wildlife too.

South Africa caters for people of all ages and tastes. It is a sports mad country. Did I mention the rugby? Bookings for supporters tours will open soon. Will my name be on the list? I certainly hope so.