David Nucifora has been confirmed as a member of Andy Farrell's backroom team with the British and Irish Lions next summer, while Farrell has also included Aled Walters and Vinnie Hammond from his Irish rugby staff.
Nucifora, who spent 10 years as IRFU performance director between 2014 and 2024, is currently working in a similar, part-time, role for Scottish rugby, and will work with the Lions under the title of 'General Manager, Performance’.
The Australian also spent a short period working as a consultant for Rugby Australia after his departure from the IRFU.
Welshman Walters joins the Lions coaching group as head of athletic performance. The former Munster strength and conditioning coach recently returned to Ireland with the IRFU after a spell with England, while he also worked with the World Cup-winning Springboks in 2019.
Performance Staff Appointed ✍️
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) January 28, 2025
Head Coach Andy Farrell has appointed three key members of his backroom staff for the #Lions2025 Tour 🦁
A big welcome to Aled Walters, David Nucifora, and Vinny Hammond 🤝
Nucifora, Walters and Hammond all accompanied Farrell on a recent recce to Australia ahead of the tour, which begins in Perth against the Western Force on 28 June.
The Lions also play Argentina in a pre-tour Test at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on 20 June.
"In David, Aled and Vinny we have three of the absolute best joining us for the tour to Australia this summer, culminating in the highly anticipated Test series against the Wallabies," Farrell said.
"David’s unrivalled experience will help us shape and deliver such a challenging and exciting rugby programme, whilst also bringing essential insight into Australian rugby and the country as a whole.
"Aled is a World Cup winner who has worked with players across England and Ireland and has also coached in Australia and Super Rugby with the Brumbies.
"And Vinny’s Lions pedigree from touring New Zealand and South Africa brings continuity and Lions experience, which will be crucial to success down under."
Australia will host Fiji in Newcastle, New South Wales on 6 July in what will be the Wallabies' sole warmup for the Lions, Rugby Australia said today.
It will be the first time Fiji have played in Australia since 2017, with the teams having last met at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
"It will be great to get the squad together and to have a genuine Test match prior to the British and Irish Lions series," Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said.
The Wallabies play the first Lions test in Brisbane on 19 July, followed by matches in Melbourne (26 July) and Sydney (2 August).
The Lions won the last series in Australia 2-1 in 2013 and will play six warm-up games in all, against Argentina in Dublin, the four Australian Super Rugby sides - Western Force, Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs and Australian Capital Territory Brumbies - and an invitational Australia and New Zealand side.
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