Alex Edwards - the fan who stayed with an All Blacks family

British and Irish Lions fan Alex Edwards’ chance meeting with some friendly locals led to an overnight stay at the home of New Zealand stars Rieko and Akira Ioane.

Edwards is following the Lions' tour of New Zealand in a camper van - and got a surprise when Sandra Ioane, the mother of the two All Blacks players, suggested he sleep at her family's house rather than out in a car park.

He said: “After Sandra introduced me to her husband, Ed, and their one-year-old French bulldog, she said: 'Here are our two sons Rieko and Akira.'

“These are two big lads, and I still didn’t realise that these were two All Blacks. It took another 10 minutes with me having a cup of tea with Ed to realise who they were.

"Then the penny dropped, and I felt like a bit of a lemon!"

Despite their stardom, the brothers, who are in their early 20s, still share a room at their parents' place.