- The 63-year-old has a deep knowledge of rugby in both hemispheres.
- Ireland's head of athletic performance Aled Walters will also join the Lions party
Former Scotland and Ireland performance director David Nucifora will take on a striking role with the British & Irish Lions on their tour of Australia this summer.
Mail Sport understands Aled Walters, former England and now Ireland director of athletic performance, will also travel as part of head coach Andy Farrell's group.
The Lions Test series with Joe Schmidt's Wallabies will be one of the highlights of 2025 rugby and Farrell has already started work on preparing for the trip after leaving his job as Ireland head coach following the end of the last year's fall series.
This month, Farrell led a Lions tour of the southern hemisphere to evaluate hotels and training bases with Nucifora and Walters alongside him.
Walters' involvement with the Lions comes as no surprise as 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 his coach Steve Borthwick as head of strength and conditioning before his shock departure for Ireland last August.
David Nucifora set for impactful role with British & Irish Lions on Australian tour
Aled Walters will also travel as part of coach Andy Farrell's party this summer.
However, the fact that Nucifora is part of the Lions party must be considered a surprise and something of a coup for Farrell.
The 63-year-old has a deep knowledge of rugby in both hemispheres, which uniquely qualifies him to work as part of this year's tour.
As an Australian and former Wallaby, Nucifora won the World Cup with his country in 1991 and also trained at national level in his homeland with the Brumbies.
It means he knows very well all the sides Farrell's Lions will face.
Additionally, the highly-rated Nucifora is well equipped to work with the Lions players.
His role in the Irish rugby revolution as a high performance director helped the men in green go from underdogs to the world's number one team and regular Six Nations winners.
Nucifora's work with Ireland came mainly alongside Schmidt, now Australia coach, and then Farrell, with whom he is understood to have a close relationship.
Last year, Nucifora left Ireland after 10 years for Scotland, following a brief period in Australia.
Nucifora has a deep knowledge of rugby in both hemispheres, making him exceptionally qualified.
understands his role with the Lions will be to help Farrell prepare for the tour and ensure every aspect is delivered to the highest level possible with little time to prepare.
In the next Six Nations, which begins on January 31, Farrell will assess the players he has under consideration for the tour. He must also decide who he wants to join him in Australia as his assistant coach, something Nucifora will have a say in.
Last August, Scotland confirmed that Nucifora had joined them “in an advisory capacity to provide a roadmap for their next decade of player development.”
He looks likely to continue his work with Scotland as well as helping Farrell and the Lions.