Intro:

Warren Gatland has been confirmed as head coach of the British and Irish Lions for the 2013 tour of Australia.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (English) Warren Gatland, British and Irish Lions head coach
"It's quite surreal really, it's a massive honour. You know it's probably the pinnacle of my coaching career to be selected to be in charge of the Lions and really to know the history that the Lions brings and so to be a part of that history is something very, very... personally, very, very special."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Warren Gatland, British and Irish Lions head coach
"You've got to realise that you're bringing players from four countries together and in a hugely short period, getting on the plane to go to play one of the best teams in the world, which is Australia, and you're playing away from home and so to win a Lions series, you know, it's probably the ultimate thing to do. But it's the biggest challenge as a team and as a coach because you're either playing, every four years, either South Africa, New Zealand or Australia and you're playing them in their own back yard."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Warren Gatland, British and Irish Lions head coach
(Q: As Lions coach you will be going to visit the English, Irish and Scottish camps, with your Welsh connections. Does a problem arise with this and how will you address it?)
"I think that's about them being comfortable for me to be able to do that and particularly during the Six Nations I need to show people the impartiality that I'm going to bring to this role. And I think that it's great that the Lions, really for the first time, have made the selection so far out that I've been seconded from Wales to the Lions which will hopefully demonstrate the impartiality and those countries are going to feel comfortable about me coming and seeing them and talking to the players . I'm going to make sure that I get around, that everyone is going to feel that they've had a fair opportunity to be seen by me and to put themselves in the shop window to have a chance of being selected."