Wales head coach Warren Gatland has revealed that he has held “informal conversations” over leading the British & Irish Lions against South Africa.
Gatland, who was in charge of the Lions’ 2013 and 2017 tours to Australia and New Zealand respectively, is in the frame for the 2021 trip.
He is set to be out of a job at the end of Wales’ Rugby World Cup campaign later in 2019 and has not ruled out coaching the Lions again.
“Maybe. I’ve had a couple of informal conversations and that’s all it’s been at the moment,” he revealed at a Welsh Rugby Union event.
“What could work out brilliantly is to finish with Wales after the World Cup, have a little break and then potentially do the Lions for 12 months heading into 2021.”
He continued: “Ireland are going to have a new coach, Wales are going to have a new coach, England will have a new coach, you’ve got Gregor Townsend in Scotland.
“It means that one of those countries could lose their coach for 12 months.
“So it (Gatland leading the Lions) may appeal to the four home nations, but there’s a lot of things that have to happen before then. There’s potential there.”
If Gatland was named Lions head coach for 2021 he would become only the second man to lead the touring side on three successive tours, following in the footsteps of Sir Ian McGeechan.