Andy Farrell has been officially confirmed as the British and Irish Lions head coach for the 2025 tour of Australia.
The Ireland boss will succeed Warren Gatland, who oversaw the last three tours in 2021, 2017 and 2013.
Farrell, who worked as an assistant coach to Gatland on the 2013 and 2017 tours, recently signed a contract extension with the IRFU until the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which included a clause allowing him to take a sabbatical from his post with Ireland for the 2025 Six Nations in preparation for the tour of Australia.
“It is a tremendous honour and a privilege to be named head coach of The British & Irish Lions,” Farrell said.
“I know how special Lions Tours are having been involved in the 2013 and 2017 Tours, so I am delighted to get the chance to lead the team in 2025.
“There is a wealth of talent across Britain and Ireland, and I am looking forward to building a team that can deliver the ultimate goal of success in Australia. I also want to thank the Irish Rugby Football Union for their support in allowing me to accept this prestigious opportunity.”
Farrell was appointed head coach by a panel of former players and coaches including Brian O’Driscoll, Ian McGeechan, Nigel Redman, as well as Lions chairperson Ieuan Evans and CEO Ben Calveley.
His appointment had been flagged for some time, with Ireland winning a Test series against New Zealand in 2022 and a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2023. And although Ireland were eliminated from the Rugby World Cup after a quarter-final defeat to New Zealand, their form over 2023 saw him named coach of the year at the World Rugby awards.
Appropriately, his first game as Lions boss will take place in Dublin, with the team hosting Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on 20 June ahead of their departure for Australia, where they will play nine more matches.
Their first game in Australia will see them face the Western Force, while they will also go up against the Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs, ACT Brumbies and Melbourne Rebels, as well as an Anzac XV selection.
The first Test between the Lions and Wallabies is booked in for Saturday 19 July in Brisbane, before further Tests in Melbourne (26 July) and Sydney (2 August).
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