Rugby Australia aim to put together a team of Indigenous Australians and players with Pacific islands heritage to plug the gap in the British and Irish Lions schedule left by the demise of the Melbourne Rebels,

The British and Irish Lions likely will face a team of players with indigenous Australian and Pasifika heritage during its nine-match tour to Australia next year, according to Australian media. Chief executive Phil Waugh told the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday that Rugby Australia is negotiating with the Lions to replace their scheduled match against the Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby team which now has gone into voluntary administration.