This time last year David Nucifora was being talked up as the prodigal son who could help drive the revival of Australian rugby – and a successful Wallabies campaign against the British and Irish Lions in 2025.
But the former World Cup-winning Wallaby is now set to be in the red corner during the Wallabies-Lions series, with coach Andy Farrell expected to name Nucifora on his Lions coaching staff for the July tour. While a handful of Australian-raised players have become Lions – and more are expected this year – Nucifora will be the first Australian to ever join the coaching staff of the Lions.
David Nucifora during his role working with Ireland.Credit: Sportsfile via Getty Images
The news of Nucifora taking a role on the British and Irish Lions coaching staff was widely reported in the UK on Friday morning, and comes just five months after the 63-year-old walked away from a high-performance role with Rugby Australia to join the Scotland Rugby Union.
Having finished a 10-year stint as high-performance boss of Ireland rugby, where he was a central figure in taking the Irish to a world no.1 ranking, Nucifora finally agreed to link back up with Australian rugby in late 2023. He was recruited as a consultant for Rugby Australia around the same time Joe Schmidt – the former Ireland coach – agreed to take over the Wallabies.
Nucifora spent eight months helping advise Rugby Australia on how to restructure its high-performance structures and pathways to emulate Ireland’s success – while still working for the IRFU as well – but after finishing up with Ireland at the Paris Olympics, he elected to depart the RA role in August and take up a similar job with the SRU.
David Nucifora and Joe Schmidt at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.Credit: Sportsfile via Getty Images
The former Brumbies and Blues coach will reportedly be seconded from the SRU to join Farrell’s staff as a performance guru, with his knowledge of Australian rugby considered valuable.
It will be Nucifora’s first involvement in a Lions series, given he quit as the ARU’s high-performance boss in late 2012, ahead of the last tour in 2013. He subsequently joined the IRFU, took over control of their entire professional rugby system and helped turn Ireland into one of the world’s best rugby nations.
New Zealand have provided several coaches for the Lions, with Graham Henry (2001) and Warren Gatland (2013-17-21) overseeing four of the past six tours. But the only Australians who’ve represented the Lions have been players, with Alec Timms (1899), Tom Richards (1910), Brent Cockbain (2005), Nathan Hines (2009) and Tom Court (2013) the Australian-raised players who’ve been selected.
Sione Tuipulotu was outstanding against Australia in November.Credit: AP
Two more are expected on the 2025 Tour, however, in the shape of former Junior Wallabies Mack Hansen and Sione Tuipulotu – and fitness pending, they’re both strong chances to become the first Australians in the modern era to play Test matches for the Lions.
Hansen, who is from Canberra and played for the Brumbies, has been a star on the wing for Ireland and Victorian-raised Tuipulotu, who played for the Rebels before moving to Scotland, is the pick of many pundits to play at inside centre for the Lions.
Tuipulotu was outstanding in captaining the Scots to victory over the Wallabies in Edinburgh last year, and in other November Tests. But he’ll likely have to rely on that form to pitch his selection case, after Tuipulotu was this week ruled out of the Six Nations due to a pectoral injury suffered at training.
Tuipulotu is expected to be back on the field for his club team Glasgow before the Lions but any setbacks in his rehab could ruin the 27-year-old’s bid to make the Lions tour.
Hansen will get to make his case on the field in the Six Nations but the outspoken winger hasn’t had a smooth lead-up to the tournament either.
The 26-year-old was banned for three weeks for criticising referees in a press conference following a loss for his Irish side Connacht.
