Wales coaching team appointed to Lions tour
Warren Gatland (left) and Shaun Edwards will tour with the 2009 British and Irish Lions
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Wednesday, 22, Oct 2008 09:45
Wales head coach Warren Gatland has been named as the forwards coach for the British and Irish Lions' 2009 tour of South Africa.
Gatland is joined by fellow Welsh staff members Shaun Edwards, who will act as defence coach, and Rob Howley, who is in charge of the backs.
The Lions coaching team will be led by tour manager Gerald Davies and head coach Ian McGeechan.
And the backroom staff will consist of Craig White (physical conditioning); Doctor James Robson (medical team leader); Rhys Long (performance analysis); and Greg Thomas (media liaison).
"Today is an important milestone in our preparation," Davies said.
"The personnel announced today have the proven skill sets to ensure that the Lions squad is well prepared for the tour to South Africa next year.
"The cosmopolitan make-up of the management team reflects the modern nature of rugby and they, like me, are well aware of the challenges that await us."
Commenting on the coaching appointments, McGeechan added: "Lions tours are unique as we have to mold together players from four different countries.
"There has to be a unified, common approach on the tour with coaches and players working together.
"We therefore have to create a positive environment and appoint the right personnel to help devise the right strategies to take on the Springboks at home.
"I am delighted with today's appointments and confident that we can come together quickly as preparation time is always short."
The appointment of Gatland means Wales Rugby Union (WRU) have been forced to install Robin McBryde as a caretaker head coach for next summer's tour of North America and Canada.
But WRU chief executive Roger Lewis said they had no hesitation in allowing a significant portion of their coaching team to join up with the Lions staff.
"The WRU is particularly proud that no less than five members of the successful coaching team it has assembled have been granted the honour of coaching the British Lions," Lewis said.
"Warren Gatland, Rob Howley, Shaun Edwards, Craig White and Rhys Long go to Lions duty with our blessing and absolute approval and we regard their appointments as a great accolade for Welsh rugby.
"Their experiences on tour will help keep them at the forefront of the ever-changing world of elite rugby and pay inevitable long-term dividends to Wales' preparations for the 2011 Rugby World Cup."