Andy Farrell officially named 2025 British & Irish Lions head coach

The British & Irish Lions have confirmed today that Ireland head coach Andy Farrell will take charge of the tour of Australia in 2025.

Farrell has long been the favourite for the job ever since Warren Gatland said in October that he would not take charge of his fourth tour. The former England international has been one of the standout coaches in world rugby over the past four years, guiding Ireland to a Grand Slam in the 2023 Six Nations and reaching number one in the world rankings in the past year, which culminated in him being named the World Rugby coach of the year.

This will be his third Lions tour after working as an assistant under Gatland in the series win over Australia in 2013 and the drawn series against the All Blacks in 2017.

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He will begin his role in December this year and will exclusively focus on the Lions, meaning Ireland will go without his services for the Six Nations next year. He will return to Ireland at the conclusion of the series in Australia, where he recently signed a new deal taking him to the 2027 World Cup.

Only Farrell has been appointed so far, and he will name his coaching team in due course.

After being appointed, Farrell said: “It is a tremendous honour and a privilege to be named Head Coach of The British & Irish Lions. 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.”

“The British & Irish Lions fan base is really special, uniting supporters from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and beyond. Mobilising that Sea of Red by creating a team that our fans can connect with and be proud of will be a key priority for me and will be crucial to our success.”

Former Wales and Lions wing, and now Lions Chairperson, Ieuan Evans was part of the panel that selected Farrell alongside former Lions players Brian O’Driscoll, Sir Ian McGeechan and Nigel Redman, and chaired by Lions CEO Ben Calveley.

Evans said that the rugby league legend’s appointment puts the Lions in a great position to win back-to-back series in Australia. He said: “Andy Farrell’s appointment marks a fantastic chapter for the Lions as we build towards the 2025 Tour in Australia. We know the challenge we face in Australia won’t be easy and to have someone of his stature with the Lions puts us in a great position to replicate the success we enjoyed in 2013.

“British & Irish Lions Tours are unique in the world of sport and Australia is always a very special place to play rugby. It is home to some of the most iconic stadiums in the world which will be packed full of passionate fans.”