Warren Gatland has decided not to continue as head coach of the British and Irish Lions, and suggested Ireland coach Andy Farrell is the man to take on the 2025 tour of Australia.
Farrell was on Sunday named World Rugby coach of the year after leading Ireland to a Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam amid a 17-match winning run.
Gatland has been in charge of the Lions since the 2013 Australia tour, also leading the side during the 2017 tour of New Zealand and the South African tour in 2021.
“I have done my best for the Lions, but it is time to move on,” the New Zealander said in his column in the British newspaper, The Telegraph.
“A few weeks ago, I was asked by Nigel Walker, Wales’ director of rugby, if I was interested in putting my name forward to be head coach for the next tour in Australia in 2025.
“I told him I was not going to put my name forward. I told Nigel that I would have no problem if any of my support staff were to be asked to be involved as I would see it as a great experience for them.”
Gatland was also involved as assistant coach to Ian McGeechan in the 2009 tour of South Africa, and is currently head coach of Wales who he led to the quarter-final stage of the Rugby World Cup in France this month.
“I think it is the opportunity now for someone else to be head coach and Andy Farrell would have my backing for the job.
“You cannot deny what Ireland have achieved as a nation over the last few years. There is no doubt that Andy has done a fantastic job.”
Gatland led the Lions to a 2-1 win in Australia in 2013, a drawn series in New Zealand in 2017 and a 2-1 defeat in South Africa in 2021.
Warren Gatland. (Photo by Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images)
Farrell was part of the 60-year-old’s coaching staff for the first two of those three tours.
The next Lions starts with a match against Western Force at Perth’s Optus Stadium on June 28 2025, with the series-opener against Australia at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on July 19.
“If the next head coach wants to tap into my experiences from the last four tours, then I would still love to be involved in some way by passing on the knowledge and experience I have gained…,” Gatland said.
“For the Lions, it is the least I can do.”
Perthstayer
Roar Rookie
I was only saying that 9 players is not a token amount
Skippy89
Roar Rookie
Gatland or Hansen would be a great Wallaby appointment. Shame that neither can or would do it.
Ulrich
Roar Rookie
I suspect Andy Farrel will get the gig and with Nienaber heading to coach Leinster, he may well be called up as an assistant by Farrel.
HenryHoneyBalls
Roar Rookie
In 2021 England had finished 2nd last in the six nations, should they have had 12 players? They were horribly off form.
HenryHoneyBalls
Roar Rookie
BOD came back from the 2005 Lions tour with an almost career ending injury, a broken collarbone and was sidelined for over a year. He was referred to as a sook in NZ for his troubles. BOD was also treated quite badly by Gatland on his last Lions tour. Murray also returned from the last Lions tour in NZ with an injured arm which took about a year to fully recover from. Tadgh Furlong has not been the same player since the last Lions tour to SA. Fester or Keith Wood was on Lions tours when Irish rugby was still amateur and these tours still made some sense. Zebos career nose dived after his one Lions tour to Oz but that may be for a combination of reasons. I honestly think these guys would have been better off without the Lions for the most part. BOD would Im sure disagree with me because he is still a Lions ambassador and drives a paid for Landrover from Lions sponsorship and is a darling of British media working with ITV and BT sports but not all players would gain so much financially and career wise, it was also in my view at a cost else where in his career. Likewise some players might argue for it as it can be lucrative but it doesnt really benefit the unions.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
It provides no money at all to the NH unions - they just get their up front costs, mostly, covered. I agree entirely with the previous comments. It fills the coffers of the the southern unions, is usually accompanied by unpleasant media coverage by the hosts, and destroys much of the following season because the northern players end up playing a 12 month season with little down time or pre-season. As an England fan it’s wholly negative. I’m puzzled why I should support a concept that interferes with England development for the ‘pleasure’ of pumping money into Aussie, Kiwi or Saffa coffers.
suspended disbelief
Roar Rookie
I have zero interest in Lions tours so would second the sentiment that they should be scrapped.
CW Moss
Roar Rookie
Legendary name Henry ...
Jimbob
Roar Rookie
It's worth a lot of money to all the unions involved - but it does cause all sorts of issues re injuries - the last couple of tours have also being dogged by acrimony and PR messes (rassie) - so the extent to which they continue to justify their existence will be measured in dollars, pounds, euros, and rand.
Smiggle Jiggle
Roar Guru
Would be good to alternate. A SH team to tour the North on the alternative 2-year period
Pom in exile
Roar Rookie
The Ryder Cup is a week at most out of the schedule of golfers and it doesn’t generally break them physically either.
Perthstayer
Roar Rookie
BOD, Zebo, Tadhg, Murray or Fester might think otherwise. And anyway the 2021 squad included 10 Irish & 12 English. I recon it'll only survive one or two more tours. Although Ryder Cup somehow seems to keep going, so who knows.
Pom in exile
Roar Rookie
Sadly I think you might be right.
HenryHoneyBalls
Roar Rookie
Thank God, Gatland is a great coach but Im glad he wont be Lions coach. The tour to SA was a total failure. His player selections were also terrible. He tends to always go with Welsh, English and naturalised Kiwis then token Irish and Scots in that order. In fact it is time the Lions tours are scrapped completely, they are of no benefit to NH sides. They only generate pay days and team cohesion benefits for the SH sides and NH players come back crocked with zero benefit to their home unions. As an Ireland fan Id rather see an Irish three test tour and they would probably be more likely to win.
Ankle-tapped Waterboy
Roar Rookie
Generous comments underpinned by what's wise for Rugby as a code, and registering almost zero on the "it's all about me" barometer. Respect. 28 June 2025 is in the diary.