Scottish Rugby has its say on David Nucifora Lions role as three appointments announced

Nucifora, Scottish Rugby’s ‘High-Performance Advisor’, is one of three key Lions appointments to head coach Andy Farrell’s backroom team. He is joining the touring group as ‘General Manager, Performance’, it was confirmed on Tuesday.

It means he is likely to miss Scotland’s own summer tour to the Pacific Islands and New Zealand. However, a statement from Murrayfield issued shortly after the Lions announcement said that Nucifora goes with Scottish Rugby's “full support”..

“As the pinnacle of the northern hemisphere game selection for the British & Irish Lions is an honour and to be celebrated,” said a Scottish Rugby spokesperson. “David has been open about his interest in this role from the outset. He travels with our full support and we hope he will be joined by other representatives from Scottish Rugby on the tour. We look forward to benefitting from his experience with the Lions.”

Scottish Rugby announced the appointment of Nucifora, 63, last August in what was seen as a major coup. His success as performance director with the Irish Rugby Football Union over a 10-year period had seen Ireland top the world rankings and win four Six Nations Championships, including two Grand Slams.

He was employed by Scottish Rugby “in an advisory capacity” on a two-year contract and spoke publicly about the role for the first time in December.

Asked if he was going to be working for other people while doing his consultancy work with Scottish Rugby, Nucifora said: “No, it's not the plan to at the moment.”

However, he is now very much part of Farrell’s plans for the three-Test Lions tour. The composite side will kick things off with a farewell game against Argentina in Dublin on June 20 before heading to Australia. The first tour match is against Western Force in Perth on June 28. The Test matches will take place on July 19 in Brisbane, July 26 in Melbourne and August 2 in Sydney.

Nucifora is a former Australia international and was part of the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup-winning squad in 1991.

Two other Lions backroom appointments were announced on Tuesday. Aled Walters, a strength and conditioning expert with the Irish Rugby Football Union, joins the group as ‘Head of Athletic Performance’. Vinny Hammond, also from the IRFU, returns for his third Lions tour in the role of ‘Head of Analysis’. Walters worked previously with England and South Africa and was part of the latter’s 2019 World Cup winning backroom team.

Farrell said: “In David, Aled and Vinny we have three of the absolute best joining us for the Tour to Australia this summer, culminating in the highly anticipated Test series against the Wallabies.

“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.

“Aled is a World Cup winner who has worked with players across England and Ireland and has also coached in Australia and Super Rugby with the Brumbies.

“And Vinny’s Lions pedigree from touring New Zealand and South Africa brings continuity and Lions experience, which will be crucial to success down under.”

Former Wallaby hooker and Brumbies coach Nucifora joins on a consultancy basis and will be with the squad for the duration of the tour. The Lions said he had already started supporting the group in their preparations.

Nucifora said: “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.

“I look forward to drawing on my experiences with Ireland and Scotland in supporting Andy as he goes about building a truly world-class backroom team and squad.”