Warren Gatland: An Evening with the Legendary Coach
- Sports Travel Tom
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Ahead of the British & Irish Lions 2025 tour of Australia, I speak to Warren Gatland with Macmaker Promotions about his history with the unique team.
Friday 9th May, 2025
7 a.m. and en route from home in Edinburgh to Northampton to host An Evening with Warren Gatland, the legendary rugby coach who has achieved so much in the game.
It's another hot day across the UK as the early May heat wave continues and I'm just a few hours away from tapping into the mind of one of the world's greatest rugby coaches.
The first part of the journey is a gentle ease into the motorway slog south of Newcastle. The A1 between Edinburgh and Newcastle, albeit a single carriageway, is a heck of a picturesque road with the wild coast on the left and the countryside of the borders on the right as you drive south. So much so, you tend not to mind if you get stuck behind a tractor (or motorhome) and reduced to 20mph for a while.
There's not a cloud in the sky this morning, making the southbound journey rather perfect and I have plenty of time to think about the topics I'll be talking to Warren about tonight.
Warren Gatland, originally from New Zealand, has spent most of his career in the UK and Ireland. He has coached both Ireland and Wales at the international level and London Wasps at the club level.
He has also been involved in four British & Irish Lions tours and for three of them, was the Head Coach.
I have always been fascinated by the British & Irish Lions. Not only its unique concept in bringing four rival nations together to form one team, but its ability to transcend rugby and appeal to the masses.
The Lions concept first began in 1888 when a predominately English team travelled by sea to tour Australia and New Zealand. Since then the Lions have gone on to form one of sport's great occasions every four years.
From a sports travel perspective, it also provides one of the best experiences you can find in sport. One where fans of those four rival nations come together for a few weeks and essentially holiday together in the backdrop of watching the Lions play.
If you ever go on a Lions Tour, the destinations aren't bad either. South Africa, Australia and New Zealand on rotation. As a sports travel fan, I'd say it's one the trips you have to tick off the list at some point. The Lions provide travel options for each Tour which includes flights, accommodation, match tickets and events throughout your time on tour.
This weekend I'm on my own little tour. Northampton today. Newcastle tomorrow ahead of Sunday's penultimate home game of the season aginst Chelsea.
I arrive into Northampton at 2pm, right on time. After the hours of motorway driving, the roundabouts of Northampton come as a bit of a shock to the system, but soon I'm parking up at the Mercure Hotel in the city centre, which informs me as I walk into the lobby it has just gone through a multi-million pound refurbishment.
I meet Warren, a wonderfully softly spoken man for a high-performing rugby coach. We talk about travel, New Zealand, which he has just flown in from and go through the running order for the evening before we take to the stage.
Warren's stories are brilliant to listen to. Around 300 guests are in complete awe as he talks through his early days playing the game of rugby. Whilst tonight is a preview of the British & Irish Lions's upcoming tour, he enjoys reminding the guests that on one occasion he played against the Lions. Little did he know then that he would one day be the team's Head Coach.
He talks so fondly of his playing days, and the grounding his dad gave gave him as a player. One story which provides you with an insight of how Gatland has always maintained a great sense of humility is the story he tells of finally breaking through into the All Blacks team.
As the All Blacks squad was announced, Gatland wasn't selected. He calls his dad and says, 'Dad, I wasn't selected for the All Blacks', his dad replying, 'Well, son, it's only one man's opinion'. The next time the opportunity arises, Gatland is once again not selected, which prompts the same reaction from Gatland senior, 'Well, son, it's only one man's opinion.'
But then, Gatland is finally selected for the All Blacks. He will represent his country, he will pull on the famous black jersey, he will be an All Black. He calls his dad, and tells him the good news, 'Dad, I'm going to be an All Black!'.
The reply? 'Well, son, it's only one man's opinion'.
Wonderful.
We talk at length about his four tours with the Lions, his first as Assistant Coach to Sir Ian McGeechan in 2009 on the tour of South Africa which provided some iconic test matches.
There was talk around that time about the Lions concept and whether it would continue after a less than inspiring 2005 tour.
But in 2009, the team roared back to life, only narrowly losing an iconic second test and winning the third. The series was lost, but the magic of the Lions was recaptured and it would prove to be the beginning of a great collaboration between Gatland and the Lions over the coming years.
The 2013 Lions tour of Australia was an incredible moment. The Lions won the series when they won the third and final test against the Wallabies in Sydney. What a moment for Gatland, but who was unable to get through a wall of photographers at full-time to make it onto the pitch to celebrate with his players.
Instead, he went back to the dressing room and had a beer on his own, until James Bond himself, Daniel Craig popped in to congratulate him.
A first Lions series win since 1997 and onto 2017 when the Lions headed to New Zealand. A homecoming for Gatland, although not the most enjoyable one with the Kiwi press doing their hardest to unsettle their fellow countryman, and in turn unsettle the touring team.
It was another encapsulating series, this time finishing in a tie.
And whilst a tie is a huge result for the Lions on Kiwi soil, there was one person who was a little disappointed by the result. Warren's daughter, who had been promised a shopping trip should the Lions have won, thanks to Warren's win bonus.
At full-time, Warren's daughter asks her Dad, 'are we still going shopping tomorrow, Dad?' Sadly without the win bonus, the shopping trip was cancelled but it did make Warren think, 'why on earth did I not negotiate a 'tie bonus' too?'
If you ever have the chance to see Warren Gatland speak, you must go. His experience, stories and humour are all absolutely worth it.
In the bar afterwards, Warren and I enjoy a drink and chat more about travel. He tells me about his love of visiting Aspen for skiing holidays, and the fact there is a rugby pitch in the middle of the town famous for its skiing.
It's then that I decide, Warren must come on the Planet Playground podcast - his love of travel and sport is a match for mine.