England coach Richard Wigglesworth to join Lions tour after Andy Farrell reprieve

Telegraph

24-03-2025

England's strong finish to their Six Nations Championship has been rewarded with a late call-up to the British and Irish Lions coaching team for Richard Wigglesworth.
Wigglesworth, who is England's senior assistant coach, will join Andy Farrell's coaching team for the tour of Australia this summer in what is expected to be a largely Irish-dominated panel.
Telegraph Sport revealed last week that Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby had been recruited by Farrell, with John Fogarty and Andrew Goodman also frontrunners to feature in an Ireland-dominated Lions squad. Easterby previously acted as Farrell's defence coach but has also served as forwards coach.
England were not expected to provide any coaches after head coach Steve Borthwick revealed that none of his assistants had been approached following his side's victory over Wales in Cardiff nine days ago.
However, it is understood that Farrell made contact with the 41-year-old Wigglesworth following the record victory, which secured a second-place finish for England in the Six Nations, their highest since 2020.
It is not yet clear what position Wigglesworth will take up with the Lions, though his current role with England is to run the side's attack. The former England scrum-half played under Farrell during their Saracens days when the Ireland head coach had just started his coaching career. Wigglesworth, who joined the club from Sale Sharks in 2010 the year Farrell took up coaching, also played under his tenure with England until the 2015 Rugby World Cup exit.
Farrell will unveil his coaching team on Wednesday. He has already appointed the Ireland strength and conditioning head Aled Walters and former Ireland performance director David Nucifora.
Speaking after England's victory over Wales, Borthwick said: 'Andy hasn't talked about any of the coaching team at this stage,' Borthwick said. 'I'd love them to have the opportunity. I'd love as many of the management team as possible to have that.
'That Lions experience I had in 2017 was one of the best, if not the best, experience I've had in my life. Working with the best players from four different countries, working with incredible coaches against top-class opposition. I developed and learnt so much as a coach in that period, it was brilliant for me and accelerated my coaching, so I'd love as many other people from the England group to be in there as possible, and I'll be fully supportive of them all.'