The British & Irish Lions’ final match against Australia was halted due to severe storms in Sydney on Saturday. The game began in wet conditions but was paused just after the first half.
A statement from the British & Irish Lions announced the suspension citing a lightning warning in the area. Additional updates on Twitter informed that play was stopped for 30 minutes due to a lightning strike within a close range of the stadium.
A warning message displayed on the stadium screen advised certain patrons to move to covered areas due to approaching bad weather. Both teams retreated to the changing rooms at Accor Stadium. A brief warm-up session was planned before the game could resume with the match clock paused at the 43rd minute.
During the break, Mark Philp, the matchday manager for Rugby Australia, mentioned the protocol to wait for the weather to clear before making a decision on continuing the match.
The interruption occurred after Lions player James Ryan suffered a serious injury and was stretchered off the field following a collision with Will Skelton. Ryan was briefly unconscious, prompting medics to intervene while play was halted.
The Wallabies were leading 8-0 at the time of the suspension, with Tom Lynagh’s penalty and Dylan Pietsch’s try contributing to their score. After the game resumed, Max Jorgensen scored a try converted by Ben Donaldson, increasing the hosts’ lead.
Ryan signaled to the crowd that he was alright as he was taken off on a stretcher. The match was paused as a brawl broke out involving Nic White before medics attended to Ryan.
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the upcoming season, offering significant savings and more than 1,400 live matches including Premier League and EFL games. Sky plans to broadcast over 215 live Premier League matches next season, a substantial increase from previous seasons.