Sam Warburton was forced to retire this year, having last appeared during a brutal Lions tour, which will now be a week shorter

A new structure for the domestic game in England that imperils the future of the British & Irish Lions was unveiled yesterday.

The Lions’ tour to South Africa in 2021 is to be squeezed into a five-week window with no training week separating the Gallagher Premiership final and the squad’s departure.

The next three domestic seasons, starting from 2019-20, will be stretched into the second half of June and, as previously agreed, summer tours will shift to July.

In making the announcement yesterday, representatives of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the clubs and the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) said that the new structure would be an improvement for player welfare, with game time reduced and mid-season rests written into the agreement.

However, the loser appears