British and Irish Lions chairman Jason Leonard accepts the summer tour to South Africa will be unlike any before it because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Both the Lions board and South African Rugby have committed to pressing ahead with the tour in the home of the world champions, although changes to the original itinerary are likely.
A fixture against the Stormers in Cape Town on July 3 is scheduled to launch a quest that culminates in a three-Test series against the Springboks, but the number of cities visited could be significantly reduced.
"We're hoping that there will be crowds, but we don't know what that will be like," Leonard
"We would hope that would be UK and Ireland fans as well but because it's so fluid, we can't say that at this moment in time.
"We're hoping as we move down the line in a few months' time that could well be possible. Everyone involved would obviously love fans in the stadium, our fans as well and not just the South African fans."
