Australian Rugby

The Australian economy received a boost of AUS$150million (£88m) as a result of the British & Irish Lions tour.

The nine games in Australia drew a collective attendance of 389,400 and with around 40,000 fans travelling Down Under to support Warren Gatland's men, the economy reaped the benefits in figures published by Australian's Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF).

"The stand out is 64.6 per cent growth in visitor numbers from the United Kingdom in June, thanks to the British and Irish Lions tour," TTF chief executive Ken Morrison said. "An estimated 30-40,000 British and Irish supporters came to Australia for the tour, generating an estimated AUS$150 million (£88m) for the Australian economy.

"This is a clear demonstration of the value of major events in supporting jobs and businesses in the visitor economy."