Andy Farrell makes first British & Irish Lions appointments ahead of 2025 tour to Australia

The British & Irish Lions can confirm three key appointments to Head Coach Andy Farrell’s backroom team.

David Nucifora comes on board as General Manager, Performance – joining up with the touring group from Scottish Rugby, where he holds a similar role.

World Cup winner Aled Walters is appointed Head of Athletic Performance and joins from the Irish Rugby Football Union.

And two-time Lions analyst Vinny Hammond, also IRFU, returns for his third Tour in the role of Head of Analysis.

With the 2025 Qatar Airways Lions Men’s Series in Australia now just five months away preparations are in full swing after Farrell took up his post in December.

Commenting on his first coaching additions, Farrell said: “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.

“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.”

Former Wallaby hooker and Brumbies coach Nucifora joins on a consultancy basis and will be with the squad for the duration of the tour.

He is currently also contracted to Scottish Rugby as their Performance Director and has already started supporting the Lions in their preparations.

Nucifora said: “Having watched the Lions tour Australia over the years, and then playing against them for a Queensland XV in 1989, never did I expect that one day I would be part of their team – but it is funny how sport works.

“I look forward to drawing on my experiences with Ireland and Scotland in supporting Andy as he goes about building a truly world-class backroom team and squad.”

Welshman Walters, who joins on secondment from the IRFU, said: “The Lions is the absolute pinnacle and my earliest memory of them was watching the 1989 Australia Tour as an eight-year-old and celebrating Ieuan Evans’ try in the Third Test.

“It is true that there is no greater honour than being selected for a Lions tour and I cannot wait to work with the very best players and coaches as we take on the Wallabies and tour Australia.”

Hammond also heads to the Lions from Ireland. He added: “The Lions has an incredibly special place in my heart, having toured New Zealand in 2017 and then South Africa in 2021.

“Being part of the Lions is the ultimate honour and it was a real privilege to be asked by Andy to lead the analysis team for 2025. Our focus now is on doing everything we can to win a Test Series.”

Both Walters and Hammond start working with the Lions at the end of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations.
Alongside Nucifora they accompanied Farrell on a successful recce to Australia this month where they toured the host cities and stadiums.

Lions CEO Ben Calveley added: “It is my pleasure to welcome David, Aled and Vinny to the Lions.

“The excitement for this year’s Tour to Australia is really starting to build across both hemispheres and as Andy shapes his backroom team that will only intensify.

“These roles would also not be possible without the support of our colleagues at Scottish Rugby and the IRFU who have helped facilitate these appointments.”

Farrell will finalise the rest of his backroom team after the 2025 Guinness Six Nations.