Few details yet on team’s two-day visit

Where they will train, what they will do and how they will do it is still being discussed, but there’s little doubt the British and Irish Lions’ impending visit to Queenstown is a coup.

The 41 players and almost 50 support staff arrived in Auckland on Wednesday to begin preparations for their 10-match tour of New Zealand.

The side’s first game will be tomorrow in Whangarei, against the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians.

The Lions will also play the five Super Rugby franchises, New Zealand Maori and three tests against the All Blacks.

They will arrive in Queenstown on July 2, the day after the second test at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium.

The team will spend two full days in Wakatipu before flying to Auckland to begin preparations for the third and final test, on July 8.

It will be the first time the Lions have used the resort as a training venue.

On their last tour 12 years ago, Queenstown welcomed supporters in droves but missed out on hosting the team.

A month out from the side’s arrival, details around the visit are scant.

The media schedule for Queenstown lists a media briefing with a "member of squad management" and an "assistant coach press conference". The latter will be followed by "vision access".

The venue for those is the Queenstown Events Centre.

Queenstown Lakes District Council sport and recreation manager Simon Battrick said in a statement the council was in discussion with the Lions about possible training venues in Queenstown but nothing was yet confirmed.

It is understood the Sir John Davies Oval will be out of action during the Lions visit, due to work on the field.

The oval has traditionally been favoured by international sports teams, including the English and Irish 2011 Rugby World Cup teams.

During those training sessions, windows overlooking the oval were covered, to ensure their training sessions were private.

Several other rugby pitches which could be used, including the Queenstown Rec Ground, are all easily accessible by the public.

Mountain Scene previously reported Lions management cased out Queenstown several months ago and stayed at Matakauri Lodge.

According to Daily Mail New Zealand head coach Warren Gatland expected players to observe a self-imposed 1am curfew on the tour.