Warren Gatland favourite to be Lions coach in New Zealand
Tuesday 12 January 2016 16:02, UK
Warren Gatland is the favourite to be named British & Irish Lions coach for next year's tour of New Zealand.
The Wales boss was the Lions coach in Australia in 2013 where the tourists won the series 2-1 - their first success since the victory over South Africa in 1997. He was assistant coach in South Africa in 2009.
And Lions chief executive John Feehan confirmed that Gatland is in pole position to take the squad to his native New Zealand in 2017.
"It would be absolutely ludicrous of me to say that Warren would not be the leading contender - he clearly is," Feehan told the Daily Telegraph.
"If he is involved in the next tour it will be a third tour for him, he has a record that is pretty much second to none in the northern hemisphere and so he has to be the leading contender.
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"The four home-based coaches are a pretty good starting point. It is unlikely that we will move outside of that, but we will keep an open mind. We will consider any international coach who wants to be involved."
The Lions intend to name their coach in August or September, with Ireland's Joe Schmidt likely to be Gatland's main rival for the post.
