LONDON (Reuters) - England scrum-half Ben Youngs has withdrawn from the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand for family reasons, he said in a statement on Saturday. Youngs was included in a 41-man squad for his second tour but informed head coach Warren Gatland of his decision to withdraw this weekend. "We are a very close family and, as I am sure everyone can respect, time is now precious together," Youngs said in a Leicester statement. "It is a great honour to be selected as a member of the British & Irish Lions squad and I would like to thank Warren Gatland, the staff and the other players for their understanding in this situation. The Lions tour begins on June 3.

Source: The Star May 06, 2017 19:41 UTC