In less than a week's time Warren Gatland names his squad for the Lions tour of New Zealand this summer.
The prestige of being among those named is regularly cited by players as reason for desiring inclusion. If you're in the 37-man squad, you are among the best players in the northern hemisphere.
However, there is also considerable monetary compensation for the players' time on the tour.
How much do Lions players earn?
Gavin Mairs of The Telegraph has got his hands on the details for this summer's tour.
Each player who remains in the squad for the full tour will receive a fee of £70,000. On top of that, should the Lions win the test series, they will also receive a bonus of £10,000.
The total fee for the 37-man squad amounts to £2.59 million. Should they win at least two games, the players' total earnings will rise to £2.96 million.
Approximately 150 players were sent a commercial contracts last week ahead of the squad announcement on April 19th.
The tour fee of £70,000 has risen by £20,000 from the tour to Australia four years ago.
The Lions trip to New Zealand, a 10-game tour, begins on June 3rd. There will be six games, including one against the Maori All Blacks, before the first test against the All Blacks on June 24th.
The other two tests against the All Blacks take place on July 1st and and July 8th.
Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
