The British and Irish Lions move swiftly to sign Warren Gatland - reports
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The British and Irish Lions are set to announce Warren Gatland as their head coach for the 2021 tour to South Africa according to the Telegraph.
Gatland is set to become the first coach to lead the Lions in three consecutive tours with the report stating that negotiations with Gatland have concluded ahead of schedule and a verbal agreement being reached.
It is understood that the contract will be signed next week when Gatland returns from New Zealand after he made an emergency trip their to spend time with his son Bryn, who suffered a serious, season-ending foot injury.
“It is a done deal,” one senior source told the Telegraph. “The Lions were clear about who they wanted and have gone and got their man.”
It is understood that the Lions board agreed to consider coaches from outside the home unions, for the first time, conducting their first “worldwide search” for their head coach but viewed that Gatland was “the best of the best.”
The deal will be quite a coup for the Lions, given that Gatland has received several approaches since winning the third Grand Slam of his 11-year tenure in charge of Wales in March.
