England's Wigglesworth set to join Lions' coaches

England senior coach Richard Wigglesworth is set to join the British and Irish Lions coaching staff for this summer's tour of Australia.

Lions boss Andy Farrell has recruited the former England scrum-half, 41, as part of an Ireland-influenced coaching group.

Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby is also expected to join Farrell's team, while the Ireland attack coach Andrew Goodman and scrum specialist John Fogarty are under consideration.

The core Lions coaching team will be confirmed on Wednesday.

Farrell has already appointed the Ireland strength and conditioning head Aled Walters and former Ireland performance director David Nucifora - now in a similar role with Scotland - to key roles.

Initially it looked like no England coach would be involved down under, despite a strong finish to the Six Nations and a second-placed finish behind France.

Following the final-day victory over Wales in Cardiff, England boss Steve Borthwick said he had received no approach from the Lions for any of his assistants.

However, it is understood Farrell reached out to Borthwick in the week following the Six Nations to enquire about Wigglesworth's availability.

England started their Six Nations campaign with defeat against Ireland in Dublin before two narrow victories over France and Scotland.

Borthwick's side then overwhelmed Italy and routed Wales, with Farrell keen to tap into the methods that helped deliver England's best Championship finish in five years.

For Wigglesworth, a Lions role would be the latest step in a burgeoning coaching career.

The seven-times Premiership winner took on a coaching role with Leicester while still playing, before succeeding the England-bound Borthwick as head coach of the Tigers at the end of 2022.

Wigglesworth then joined Borthwick's England staff the following summer and was promoted to England senior coach in October 2024.

After confirming his coaching group on Wednesday, Farrell will name his squad on Thursday, 8 May, with the Lions taking on Argentina in Dublin on Friday, 20 June.

The squad then travels to Australia for five warm-up matches before the first of three Tests against the Wallabies on Saturday, 19 July in Brisbane. A midweek match precedes the second Test in Melbourne on 26 July, with the third in Sydney on 2 August.