David Nucifora has been hailed as one of the “absolute best” after being confirmed as the performance manager for the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia this summer.
The 63-year-old, who has had a similar role with Scotland since last year, worked alongside Lions head coach Andy Farrell during a decade with Ireland.
The former hooker won the 1991 World Cup with Australia, having played for Queensland against the Lions two years earlier.
“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,” said Nucifora.
After moving into coaching, he enjoyed a successful three-season stint with the ACT Brumbies, before leading Australia’s high-performance unit.
“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,” said Farrell.
