British and Irish Lions: Andy Farrell well placed to lead 2029 tour

Andy Farrell's record places him in contention for the 2029 Lions role

Andy Farrell will be a leading candidate to coach the British and Irish Lions on their 2029 tour of New Zealand, according to chief executive Ben Calveley. Farrell guided the Lions to a 2-1 series win over Australia in 2025, securing victories in the first two Tests before a defeat in Sydney.

Calveley highlighted Farrell's unbeaten record on previous tours as part of the coaching team in 2013 and 2017 as a key factor. “He's put himself in a really good place,” Calveley said, noting that a robust selection process will follow.

Farrell, who returns to his role as Ireland head coach for the autumn Tests, remains non-committal about a future Lions appointment but spoke of his deep affinity with the squad after an “enjoyable” eight weeks.

Exploring tour format changes

While there are no plans to alter traditional destinations—Australia, New Zealand and South Africa—Calveley said the Lions are considering adding matches against emerging teams such as Japan or Fiji to enhance tour fixtures.

“We could bring in new opponents for non-Test matches and maintain the core Test series,” he explained, as part of efforts to refresh the schedule.

Farrell's success as both head and assistant coach on Lions tours has strengthened his prospects of leading the squad again in 2029.

This topic was reported by BBC.

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