The British and Irish Lions are in discussions about staging a £10 million match against a top international side at Twickenham ahead of the 2021 tour of South Africa in a move that will put them on collision course with Premiership clubs.

It is understood the fixture is being considered in order to raise money to enable the Rugby Football Union to offer a seven-figure incentive to persuade Premiership Rugby to move its final in order to give the Lions more preparation time before departing for South Africa.

The disclosure comes after the Six Nations confirmed on Wednesday that the 2021 championship would remain a seven-week tournament, despite a move by RFU interim chief executive Nigel Melville to reduce it by one week in Lions years to free up the preparation time that the tourists believe is essential to their hopes of success.

It would be the first Lions fixture in England since the first officially sanctioned match against the Barbarians at Twickenham in September 1977. The last of only three sanctioned “home” Lions matches was against Argentina in Cardiff before the 2005 tour of New Zealand.

Sources have revealed the Lions have also had discussions at their board meeting last month to see if the Stade de France, France’s national stadium, would be available.