British and Irish Lions set to make SHOCK hire of Scotland and former Ireland performance director David Nucifora for this summer's tour
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David Nucifora, the Scotland and former Ireland performance director, is set for a shock role with the British & Irish Lions for their tour of Australia this summer. Mail Sport understands that Aled Walters, the ex-England and now Ireland head of athletic performance, will also travel as part of head coach Andy Farrell’s party.
![[Aled Walters will also travel as part of head coach Andy Farrell’s party this summer]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/23/16/94439991-0-image-a-47_1737648174774.jpg)
The Lions Test series with Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies is set to be one of the rugby highlights of 2025 and Farrell has already begun work preparing for the trip having stepped away from his employment as Ireland head coach following the end of last year’s autumn series.
![[Nucifora has an intricate knowledge of rugby in both hemispheres which makes him uniquely qualified]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/23/16/94440627-0-image-a-48_1737648823286.jpg)
This month, Farrell led a Lions touring party to the southern hemisphere to assess hotels and training bases with Nucifora and Walters alongside him. Walters’ involvement with the Lions is no surprise given he is one of the best in his field having won a World Cup with South Africa in 2019, among many other roles.
The Welshman was a key figure with England alongside their head coach Steve Borthwick as head of strength and conditioning prior to his shock departure for Ireland last August. David Nucifora is set for a shock role with the British & Irish Lions for their tour of Australia.
Aled Walters will also travel as part of head coach Andy Farrell’s party this summer. However, the fact Nucifora will be part of the Lions party must be considered a surprise as well as something of a coup for Farrell. The 63-year-old has an intricate knowledge of rugby in both hemispheres which makes him uniquely qualified to work as part of this year’s tour.
