McGeechan to lead the British and Irish Lions
Not unexpected news by any means, but at least now the appointment has been confirmed.
McGeechan is part of an elite group of people who have coached and played for the British and Irish Lions, and even within this elite group he has a pretty fantastic record!
Two tours as a player:
1974 - South Africa - four Tests
1977 - New Zealand - four Tests
Three tours as head coach:
1989 - Australia
1993 - New Zealand
1997 - South Africa
One tour as assistant coach:
2005 - New Zealand
McGeechan is without doubt the most experienced Lions coach ever! With one tour victory as player and two as head coach!
Andy Irvine, Chairman of the Lions Board said:
We are honoured to have Ian as the 2009 head coach. His wealth of experience at national and club levels is an incredible asset and his Lions pedigree is unrivalled.
“Indeed, this will be Ian’s seventh Lions tour. My colleagues on the board and I are delighted that he made himself available for selection and were unanimous in his appointment. We are very confident that he can lead the 2009 Lions to a truly memorable series win against the world champions.”
Ian McGeechan said:
“The Lions are a unique sporting concept. It’s about a group of rugby players from four different countries coming together and forming a tight-knit group within a very short time frame.
“It is a huge challenge and a great honour to be involved again. I will endeavour to create the right environment for this team to blossom and perform in the short time that we are together.”
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