Owen Farrell will join Sky Sports as a pundit for the British and Irish Lions series this summer in a surprise new role for the former England rugby captain.
Farrell missed out on selection after struggling for form and fitness in his first season at Racing 92, though head coach Andy Farrell, his father, has suggested that a late call-up may be a possibility.
The 33-year-old has in the mean time agreed to join Sky’s impressive group of analysts ahead of the 10-match tour itinerary, with the broadcaster again the primary partner of the Lions despite a wider withdrawal from rugby union.
The recently-retired Dan Biggar and Conor Murray join former England prop Kyle Sinckler, now of Toulon, and Farrell as 2021 tourists now taking on new roles.
Ronan O’Gara, Will Greenwood, Kyle Sinckler, John Barclay and Danielle ‘Nolli’ Waterman will also be part of the team, while 2017 tour captain Sam Warburton will have a key analysis role in the studio usually used for the flagship Monday Night Football programme.
Ex-Lions bosses Sir Ian McGeechan and Warren Gatland will also provide insight.
“A Lions tour is the pinnacle of any player’s career, so to now be part of it with Sky Sports is incredibly exciting,” Biggar said. “Being on the ground, feeling the atmosphere, and sharing that passion with fans, combined with Sky’s top-tier analysis, lets us bring the game to life in a way that’s insightful but still accessible for everyone watching at home.”
Farrell’s new duties comes with negotiations thought to be ongoing over a return to Saracens next season. It is thought that he has expressed a desire to leave Racing 92 after a single season in Paris that saw head coach Stuart Lancaster depart and the side fail to make the Top 14 play-offs.
While sometimes taciturn in his dealings with the media, the 33-year-old has long been regarded as one of rugby’s smartest minds, and has been tipped to become a top coach in the future.
Sky will show live coverage of every match of the Lions summer, beginning with the encounter with Argentina in Dublin on Friday 20 June. The three Tests against the Wallabies will be held in Brisbane (19 July), Melbourne (26 July) and Sydney (2 August).
