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Warren Gatland has backed Andy Farrell to be the next British and Irish Lions head coach after ruling himself out of the running for the 2025 tour of Australia.<\/p>\n
New Zealander Gatland, who late last year returned for a second spell as Wales boss, has overseen the last three Lions tours.<\/p>\n
Farrell was on Sunday named World Rugby coach of the year\u00a0after leading Ireland to a Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam amid a 17-match winning run.<\/p>\n
\u201cA few weeks ago, I was asked by Nigel Walker, Wales\u2019 director of rugby, if I was interested in putting my name forward to be head coach for the next tour in Australia in 2025,\u201d Gatland wrote in his column for the Telegraph.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt did not take long to get back to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I think it is the opportunity now for someone else to be head coach and Andy Farrell would have my backing for the job.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Farrell was part of the 60-year-old\u2019s coaching staff for the first two of those three tours.<\/p>\n
The 48-year-old Englishman\u2019s stock has risen significantly over the past couple of years, albeit Ireland suffered a quarter-final exit at the Rugby World Cup in France following a 28-24 defeat to runners-up New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Gatland, who also assisted Sir Ian McGeechan on the 2009 Lions tour of South Africa, offered to support his successor in an advisory capacity.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf 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 in trying to create harmony within a group of players from different backgrounds,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the Lions, it is the least I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n