England increase their Lions stranglehold
Concerns that the 2005 Lions tour of New Zealand will be a solely England affair heightened today when Clive Woodward named Louise Ramsey to act as team manager for the trip.
Woodward was today confirmed as head coach and he will be in charge of all the matches, with former England captain Bill Beaumont acting as both chairman of the four home unions and tour manager.
Beaumont's role will be to meet and greet on the proposed 10-match tour with Ramsey, the England team manager, liaising with Woodward over the practicalities of the tour from the players point of view.
With the top three jobs now in English hands, the question is how many roles will be given to members of the other three home unions? Woodward has made it clear today that his Lions appointment will not affect his bid to retain the RBS Six Nations title.
He said: "My immediate priority is England and while there will be a lot of speculation about the itinerary, selection and management appointments for the tour, I am sure people will understand that I will only comment on the Lions once the Championship is over."
