Warren Gatland remains coy on British and Irish Lions job
Welsh coach Warren Gatland may be available to manage the British and Irish Lions in 2013, despite signing a new contract with Wales earlier this week.
Gatland’s new contract extension with Wales contained a clause which will allow him to take an extended break from the national set up during 2013.
The Lions will tour Australia in 2013 and the coach has remained coy over whether he would accept the role of head coach with the Lions.
"We'll just have to see. Part of my contract negotiations included being able to spend some time back in New Zealand."
Gatland was considering his future at Wales due to family reasons, before he signed a contract with the Welsh Rugby Union committing him to the club until 2015.
As a result, his new deal provides him with breaks to return home to see his family, freeing up Gatland to coach the Lions if the position is offered to him.
"Wales have agreed that for 2013, while the Lions are touring and Wales play Japan for a couple of games, I could appoint some younger coaches which would enable me to spend four or five months back in New Zealand."
The Lions Tour manager Andy Irvine didn’t rule out approaching Gatland, but the former Scottish international admitted that the Lions would have to talk to the Welsh Rugby Union to see if the coach could be partially released.
Irvine hinted that it would be difficult to take on both roles, but not impossible.
The New Zealander was a part of the Lions tour to South Africa in 2009 as one of Ian McGeechan’s coaches.
McGeechan has ruled himself out of the 2013 tour, but he believes that Gatland would be an ideal choice for the role.
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