LONDON: England scrumhalf Ben Youngs has ruled himself out of contention for the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa this summer for family reasons.
Youngs was reportedly one of more than 50 players to have been sent a save-the-date letter from Lions coach Warren Gatland.
However, his wide Charlotte is pregnant with their third child and he did not want to commit to spending nine weeks in South Africa in a biosecure bubble.
“Whether or not I would have made the final cut, I’ll never know, Youngs told the Daily Mail newspaper.
“I’ve got two young children and my wife is heavily pregnant with the third. This summer I’ve got an opportunity to be with my family and my kids.
“I have always loved the Lions. I’ll be cheering them on, and I wish everyone involved a healthy and successful tour.
It’s not a decision that I’ve taken lightly, but it’s the best decision for my family.
Youngs won two caps for the Lions against Australia in 2013 but withdrew from the 2017 tour of New Zealand after the wife of his brother Tom was diagnosed with cancer.
Gatland is set to name his 36-man squad on Thursday for a tour planned to start in July.
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