"No bigger honour" - Ugo Monye: Former England wing recalls his 2009 Lions call-up on squad announcement day

Getting the call-up for the Lions sits in a league of it's own for rugby accomplishments, with former England and Lions wing Ugo Monye putting the accolade upon a pedal-stool of his career highlights. Monye shared with Ruck how he felt when he got the news, that he would be apart of the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa, in what was an incredible yet exhaustive day for the former flyer.

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"The announcement is one of the most draining days I've ever had. Like truly, because it's a lot of build up, and now, 16 years later you've got people like me giving my opinion on who should be selected. All of that builds this pressure cooker, no one wants to talk about it. No (Lions contention) players are up for media this week because you wouldn't expect to. You've got the pressures of like friends and family, everyone's talking about it. You can't hide away from the conversation.

"Then, to hear your name and that emotional release. I remember I had to train afterwards, and on my way home, driving, I spoke to mum. She was in floods of tears, and I then got home, I turned my phone off and went to sleep. I was so drained. I just needed a moment, just to decompress, but it was the best.

"There's no bigger honor. There's no better jersey. It's the most special rugby club in world rugby. But it's day one, it's the affirmation, it's the acceptance, it's the selection, but then you've got to get on tour right. That's just the letter, that's just the invitation, that's great. Then the hard work starts, and then you're part of the best of the best. It gets as competitive as it should be, but it's a brilliant journey. It's one of the best things I've ever done in rugby."

Monye jetted out to the home of the Springboks with the Lions class of '09, and quickly got to work in establishing himself as the Test match wing. Monye started the first Test of the series, as the Lions succumbed to a narrow 26-21 defeat to the hosting South Africans. Despite coming away on the wrong side of the score-line in Durban, Monye's favourite Lions memory emanates from the inaugural Test, as he scored a career-defining try from 70m out.

"(That's my) Favorite individual rugby memory, I'd say. I started rugby late, I came to the game aged 13. I went on that tour age 26 and that Lions intercept was 70 metres, for six or seven seconds. To put in 13 years of work for that moment, if I had to do another 13 years to get that feeling again, I'd start today. There's no guarantees, I felt and witnessed heaven and hell on that tour, the lows I had, the highs, I had everything that's what a full rugby career, let alone the tour, feels and looks like.

"It's the best moments with the best players and coaches and the best supporters. You're stumbling around South Africa, then obviously Australia this summer, having Scotland fans, Welsh fans, high fiving you and cheering for you. You don't get that, you just don't get that. It's the best, and it should feel like that. And I hope it does for the lads that tour this summer."

Whilst Monye's on-field memories were plentiful from the tour across South Africa, the former Harlequin holds some off-field trips in high regard from his time 'living with the Lions'. The world-renowned rugby pundit shared a story that was fit for print, whilst a plethora of the best stories that happened on tour, stayed on tour.

"Gosh, one. Actually, I remember, actually, there was a couple. There was one really cool day we had after training, myself. Shaun Edwards, Rob Kearney, Tommy Bowe we went into the townships and we went to a school. They opened up a rugby pitch, I don't think they (the students) knew the lions, I don't think they knew who we were.

"They were just so excited that these European lads have come to spend time with them, hand out rugby balls, take them for training. The level of excitement was amazing. Sometimes we take for granted, we all love rugby up here, but that doesn't mean everyone does. In South Africa. They love their rugby, but to see these kids so excited about that was unreal."

South Africa had the three match series won following the second match, with back-to-back Test wins reminding the Lions as to why the Springboks were the World Champions. However, the third and final Test in Johannesburg brought about a 28-9 Lions win, with 'champagne Sunday' following for a day of celebrations. Monye remembered what he could from the day that followed the final Test, with much of the festivities lost to a blur.

"So if that was the philanthropic and like and emotive memory. Then celebrations after a test, Super Saturday was good. Nothing was quite as good as Super Sunday having a champagne breakfast. We had 12 bottles of Bollinger sent to the hotel to kick off our champagne breakfast on the Sunday. That was a nice way to start Super Sunday."