Warren gatland to be named british and irish lions boss again

Gatland was in charge of the team that defeated Australia 2-1 back in 2013 – the first series win for the Lions in 12 years – and there are rumours claiming the 52-year-old will be handed the reins again.

Next summer, the team return to the home of the World Champions, and reports from New Zealand state that the ten-match tour which includes three test-matches might be about to become tougher.

On recent tours when the Lions have faced Super Rugby sides the global players have been kept out of the fixtures but selector Grant Fox has revealed that a different approach will be adopted in 2017.

After overseeing a 2013 series win Down Under, Will Greenwood says Warren Gatland is the right coach for the British and Irish Lions.

Tickets for the series go on general sale from October 28 for all seven non-test matches – the Lions play all five New Zealand Super Rugby teams, plus the Maori All Blacks and provincial Barbarians, plus three tests.

“It’s the hardest place in the world to go and play, from a travel and organisation perspective as well as the rugby perspective”.

Scotland’s Vern Cotter is reported to have been interviewed for the job and he could yet be included among the assistants chosen by Gatland.

“New Zealand away is daunting, but I do feel that [with] the calibre of player in the northern hemisphere I’ve got a sneaky feeling that they might have an opportunity to shock the All Blacks”, he said. “It will be tough for them, but the difference is Wales were down to their mid-week team and you’d think a mid-week British and Irish Lions team would be stronger than Wales”.

“The argument with New Zealand is are they the greatest sporting franchise of the last 100 years?”