B&I Lions CEO’s verdict on Andy Farrell’s chances of coaching against the All Blacks in 2029

British and Irish Lions chief executive Ben Calveley has revealed that Andy Farrell is in a very good position to coach the famous touring team again when they tour New Zealand in 2029.

Farrell was an assistant coach to Warren Gatland when the Lions toured Australia in 2013 and clinched a 2-1 series victory over the Wallabies. He was also an assistant coach on the Lions’ 2017 tour to New Zealand, when their series against the All Blacks was drawn 1-1.

Although he was not part of the backroom staff for their tour to South Africa in 2021 – when the Lions lost their three-Test series 2-1 against the Springboks – he took over the famous touring team’s coaching reins from Gatland this year and had great success.

The 50-year-old guided the tourists to a 2-1 series win over the Wallabies in Australia, although he missed out on a whitewash after the home side clinched a 22-12 triumph in Sydney on Saturday.

Calveley said Farrell‘s impressive track record with the Lions will come into consideration when they select the head coach for their next tour to New Zealand in four years time.

Farrell is ‘in a really good place’

“He’s put himself in a really good place,” Calveley told the BBC.

“You would always take someone’s track record into account and the fact that Andy has been successful, not just here but he’s undefeated when you look at the two previous occasions he’s been on the Lions tour as part of the coaching ticket [in 2013 and 2017 as an assistant].

“But we’ll run a thorough a robust process and we’ll see there where that takes us.”

Farrell is set to resume his role as Ireland’s head coach after taking a sabbatical from that position following their 2024 Autumn Nations Cup campaign.

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He is currently contracted with the Irish Rugby Football Union until the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Will not ‘move away from their traditional touring destinations’

Calveley also revealed that the Lions would not move away from their traditional touring destinations of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

He did disclose that the tourists could face international opponents like Japan or Fiji ahead of the Test series in order to boost the tour matches, which were largely disappointing on the recent tour to Australia.

“We are not looking to make any changes [to Australia, South Africa and New Zealand] at the moment,” Calveley said.

“I think the way that we could build relationships with new countries is through the different parts of the tour.

“So we look at it in three ways: the pre-tour piece – the Argentina game in Dublin – the tour matches, and the Test matches themselves.

“What we could continue to do is play against new and interesting opponents in that pre-tour piece.

“You might be able to do some of that on tour as well, so can you bring in a Japan or a Fiji for example for some of those non-Test matches. And then you leave the Test series alone.

“So we are looking for new and interesting ways to configure the schedule. We’ll have a look at many different options.”

READ MORE: Andy Farrell addresses British and Irish Lions coaching future ahead of 2029 All Blacks series