Another tweet in questionable taste from the official British and Irish Lions Twitter account this morning.
In an attempt to portray the thorough beating which the Lions gave to South Africa in the third test of the 2009 tour (28-9) the account tweeted a picture of an injured animal with it's genitals caught on a fence.
The tweet has now been deleted.
When you take into account the history and prestige surrounding the Lions, posting this type of content on social media is a serious juxtaposition to the image normally portrayed.
That tweet came in between two wishing a happy birthday to the legendary Tony O'Reilly.
And it follows on from a tweet which they sent out on the morning of the squad announcement asking if players would be feeling "Excited, nervous - suicidal?"
That tweet was also deleted later that day.
Given tour manager, Andy Irvine's comments that they were working on a social media protocol for players, they might want to look at their own social media content too.
Social media these days you can make a mistake and it can be around the world in seconds. We do have a protocol we will be following. It's not as if we are headmasters and telling kids what to do. There will be an opportunity for the players to look at it (protocol) and accept it and understand it. It takes years to build up a good reputation, but you can lose it in seconds. We are alert to that.
Second tweet image via @OnePaulie
UPDATE: The Lions Twitter account has apologised for any offence caused by recent inappropriate tweets.
@lionsofficial would like to apologise for any offence caused by recent and inappropriate tweets.
— British&Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) May 7, 2013
