32 - 18

18 - 49

35 - 10

27 - 22

34 - 24

47 - 32

30 - 33

19 - 22

14 - 0

29 - 20

11 - 10

20 - 15

29 - 10

24 - 54

21 - 17

56 - 25

21 - 27

24 - 7

20 - 17

23 - 22

15 - 40

28 - 10

20 - 12

3 - 13

Today

10:00

Today

10:00

Today

15:05

Lions fans concerned about Gatland's new Chiefs role

By Josh Raisey

28 Jun 2019

Warren Gatland talks to Wales' Rhys Webb during the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour in New Zealand (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Fans in the northern hemisphere have questioned the logistics of Warren Gatland’s new job after it was announced he will become the Chiefs’ new head coach from 2020,

Set to step down from his Wales role after the 2019 World Cup after 11 years in charge, the Kiwi has already been confirmed to lead the British and Irish Lions for the third time in South Africa in 2021. This means he will take a year out from coaching in Super Rugby and return in 2022.

However, questions have been asked as to how Gatland can remain committed to the Lions’ cause when he has nothing to do with northern hemisphere rugby.

Some fans have been quick to cite Gatland’s comments relating to Vern Cotter being part of his 2017 coaching team. Because Cotter moved to France with Montpellier, Gatland ruled him out, suggesting a coach should be based in the UK or Ireland.

Being the complete opposite side of the world has clearly not resonated well with these fans in light of those comments.

(Continue reading below…)

Ever since Gatland was first appointed head coach of the Lions for the 2013 tour of Australia, fans from outside Wales feel their players are overlooked, particularly Scotland.

Being so alienated from northern hemisphere rugby will only make this worse, with some people feeling he will fall back even more on the Welsh players that he knows. This is what the fans have said:

So he is going to watch his prospective Lions from the other side of the world in 2020. What a load of bollocks. #BritishLions
— Iain Skelton (@ioskelton) June 27, 2019

https://twitter.com/Craig_M78/status/1144526004045533184?s=20

? not sure I agree with this. #Lions coach should be based in GB&I. https://t.co/8XWDnza0nz
— Ryan G (@ArrGee79) June 28, 2019

If this is true, it makes the Lions appointment even more ridiculous… https://t.co/Fo6wS35Iki
— George H (@Me_George_H) June 27, 2019

No issue with his Lions appointment he was the stand out candidate. But sandwiched in between a role in NZ don’t feel right to me.
— Nathan Dark (@njdark7) June 27, 2019

https://twitter.com/Rusty_Rascal/status/1144364541968601089?s=20

Very different. He was still part of northern hemisphere rugby back then.
— Tom English (@TEnglishSport) June 28, 2019

See his own words about Cotter going to France before the last tour. Surely being in a different hemisphere is worse?
— Martin welsh ?????????????? (@accts_cowboy) June 28, 2019

Nope, the spirit of the Lions requires it to be a coach based in the British Isles. Lions aren’t a pro club team, nor a pro national team, yet they are being run that way. The category that they come closest to is probably the BaBa’s. imo
— TVDirectorDavid (@DavidSmithTV) June 27, 2019

https://twitter.com/therealbag11/status/1144372173253074947?s=20

As Gatland is set to take a year off from the Chiefs in 2021, as he did when he was with the Wales team, some have said that it is no different to his previous Lions coaching jobs.

However, many feel this is very different as Gatland was based entirely in the northern hemisphere for the previous two tours.

It meant that while he was with Wales he was still able to scout players. On the other hand, his access to the players that he wants to watch will be far more limited in 2020 while he is with the Chiefs.

View this post on Instagram

Warren Gatland has been announced head coach of the Waikato Chiefs. #WarrenGatland #Chiefs #SuperRugby
A post shared by RugbyPass (@rugbypass_) on Jun 28, 2019 at 1:27am PDT

Ultimately, it boils down to the tradition and values of the Lions, which some feel are being undermined with the coach being based in New Zealand.

Of course, there is nothing written to say where the head coach should be based, but there seems to be an unspoken rule amongst fans that they must be based in the UK or Ireland.

Then again, no one has ever disputed that Gatland is the best man for the job – and that is because he is one of the best coaches in the world.

WATCH: Warren Gatland expresses his delight at accepting his new role at the Chiefs

LIVE

Comments

0 Comments

Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Latest Features

LONG READ

'Springbok Galacticos can't go it alone for trophy-hunting Sharks'

Lesser known names must step up if the franchise is to fulfil its aim of winning the URC and Champions Cup this season.

LONG READ

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Enforced rotation, poor results, and logistical and political issues have raised questions over the viability of South African Champions Cup involvements.

LONG READ

Return of 30-something brigade provides welcome tonic for Wales

The enduring class of Taulupe Faletau, Liam Williams and Josh Adams on their returns gives Wales hope after a wretched year.

Comments on RugbyPass

GrahamVF 35 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

500k registered players in SA are scoolgoers and 90% of them don't go on to senior club rugby. SA is fed by having hundreds upon hundreds of schools that play rugby - school rugby is an institution of note in SA - but as I say for the vast majority when they leave school that's it.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 41 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

There is a continued murmur in local circles about reciprocal bi annual tours between SA and Argentine. Whether it's full blooded test tours or development tours or a mixture - ie touring with a "test" 20 and a development 20 the cream of which will be used in tests. We actually really enjoy playing the Argies and I believe they enjoy playing us. It goes back seventy years to the Junior Bok tours to Argentine involving Isaac van Heerden.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 49 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

About 500K of those are schoolboys 90% of which will not go on to play club rugby.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 50 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Exactly. Shoo would that it was so easy to develop competitions.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 54 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

SA wealthy? Compared to which countries. The economy is in tatters unemployment is at record low numbers and you think SA has money to spend on rugby development -0 and remember the SARU was technically bankrupt and was only saved by the COVID tour of the B&I Lions. No Sa doesn't have spare cash lying round for rugby development and given the resources SARU is doing just fine.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 57 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

South African domestic rugby is in great shape. Four top tier franchises fed by a series of competitions ranging from national schools competitions through Varsity Cup to Currie Cup and then to top four franchises is a model Australia would do well to follow. SA should never have more than four top domestic teams.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

That might be the best spin off from SA's involvement north of the line.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Of course not Nick 😉

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

We have our own theories about The Sharks. Plumtree is a good coach but he has not done anywhere near the best he could with the talent and money he has at his disposal and it doesn't help to have a marquee director of rugby who has spent by far the majority of his career playing and coaching sevens.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Don't worry - you'll win again soon then you'll feel a lot better. Right now get on with your SH comps and we'll get on with being barely the best in the world.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

JW you really have no idea of how Africa works. It will take generations not decades no matter how much SA puts into it. The poverty in Africa is something that is obviously beyond your understanding. Do you think the governments of impoverished nations are going to watch happily as rugby pours massive investments into infrastructure to promote what is essentially a white western game? And SA was trying hard to develop the game in Africa until the African vote blocked our "23 bid after the independent consultants to the RFU voted unanimously for SA? The Confederation of African Rugby virtually excluded South Africa.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Nick, our association with Argentina Rugby runs very long and deep. We are exploring reciprocal two/three test tours in the future - and even more games at neutral venues such as in Europe where a lot of both teams have players anyway.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.

"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"

After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Which country do you think was instrumental in developing rugby in Argentina which then spun off into the rest of Latin South America? South Africa was touring Argentine in the 50's with their Junior Bok side on three months development tours. And they didn't do it to cultivare players for the Boks. Regarding Africa you are not taking into account that South Africa itself is an emerging nation. The rugby union has prioritised the development of rugby in South African rural communities with outstanding success.

It has taken 15 years to build the participation of rugby both in playing and watching. For South Africa on its own to build a viable international rugby competition in africa will take generations - not decades. New Zealanders seem to resent the fact that SA has doubled the income of the URC since their inclusion. If New Zealand Rugby hadn't insisted on have a disproportionate slice of the pie in Super Rugby, SA might not have fled the coop.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

I think this debate is avoiding the elephant in the room. Money. According to the URC chief executive Martin Anayi, the inclusion of SA teams has doubled the income of the URC. There is no doubt that the SA teams benefit from the URC but so do the other countries' teams. Perhaps it doesn't affect a club like Leinster but the less well off clubs benefit hugely from South African games' TV income. I don't think SA continued inclusion in the URC is a slam dunk. They don't hold all the cards by a long way - but they do have an ace in the hole. The Ace of Diamonds.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 2 hours ago

How Wallace Sititi humbly reacted to All Blacks Player of the Year honour