Triple British & Irish Lions tourist Dai Young will coach the Barbarians when they meet Warren Gatland’s 2013 Lions tourists in Hong Kong on 1 June, 2013.
The former Cardiff Blues player and coach, who is currently director of rugby at London Wasps, was in the last Lions squad to win a Test series in Australia back in 1989. As a 21-year-old prop he played in all three Tests to help Finlay Calder's men win the series 2-1.
Young captained Wales at both rugby union and rugby league and played in World Cups in both codes. He has also played for and coached the Barbarians, guiding the all-star side to victories over both England and Wales in 2011.
The game at the Hong Kong Stadium will kick-off the Lions' 125th anniversary tour which will then move on for nine matches, including three Tests, in Australia. The Barbarians will warm-up for only their second clash with the Lions by playing an England XV at Twickenham Stadium.
Barbarians Summer Tour 2013
Sunday, 26 May v England, Twickenham
Saturday, 1 June v British & Irish Lions, Hong Kong
Young will take charge of the Baa-Baas for the full tour and will have with him as manager the former Wales, Llanelli and Lions' forward Derek Quinnell. Between them Young and Quinnell went on six Lions' tours as players and both played for the Barbarians against international opposition.
Derek Quinnell said: “ On behalf of my colleagues on the Barbarian committee it was a pleasure for me to invite David Young to be our coach again and we're delighted that he accepted the opportunity with such good grace.
“I have worked with him before – though it seems a long time ago that I was in the Wales' coaching set-up with Tony Gray and we sent for Dai to join our squad for the quarter-final of the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. He was a young 19-year-old prop at the time but was equal to the task and two years later he was back in Australia with the Lions and an automatic choice for the test team that won the series.
“The other great thing about Dai is that as a player and now an experienced and successful coach he undertstands what makes the Barbarians tick and fully respects and furthers the traditions of our club.”
David Young, who coached the Barbarians to victories over England and Wales in 2011, said: “I have been privileged to coach the Barbarians on three previous summer tours in recent years but never mind how many times I am invited it is always an honour and one that I cherish.
“It is also a big responsibility to uphold the traditions of the Barbarians and to get the best out of the fantastic group of players they invariably assemble for these matches.
“This will be even more so next summer. The annual game against England is a big enough occasion it itself but to play the Lions on the first match of their own major tour is really a case of the icing on the cake. It promises to be a tremendous tour and all those of us involved will be committed to making it a big success.”
The Barbarians and Lions played each other once before – at Twickenham in 1977 in honour of the Queen's Silver Jubilee. In the Lions XV that day were Derek Quinnell and his opposite number next year in Hong Kong in his role as manager of the Lions, the Scotland full-back Andy Irvine.
On that occasion the Lions defeated the Barbarians 23-14 in front of a capacity 60,000 crowd. Next June in Hong Kong the return match promises to be another glamorous and memorable occasion.
DAI YOUNG ON TOUR WITH THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
P 17 W 14 L 3 Pts 10 (2T)
1989 – AUSTRALIA
10/06/1989 Western Australia 0 – 44 Lions
17/06/1989 Queensland 15 – 19 Lions
24/06/1989 NSW Waratahs 21 – 23 Lions
01/07/1989 Australia 30 – 12 British & Irish Lions
04/07/1989 ACT 25 – 41 Lions
08/07/1989 Australia 12 – 19 British & Irish Lions
15/07/1989 Australia 18 – 19 British & Irish Lions
23/07/1989 Anzac XV 15 – 19 Lions
1997 – SOUTH AFRICA
28/05/1997 Border 14 – 18 Lions
03/06/1997 Mpumalanga 14 – 64 Lions
07/06/1997 Northern Transvaal 35 – 30 Lions
14/06/1997 Natal 12 – 42 Lions
24/06/1997 Free State 30 – 52 Lions
01/07/1997 Northern Free State 39 – 67 Lions
2001 – AUSTRALIA
12/06/2001 Queensland Pres XV 6 – 83 Lions Try
19/06/2001 Australia A 28 – 25 Lions
26/06/2001 NSW Country Districts 3 – 46 Lions Try
DEREK QUINNELL ON TOUR WITH THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
P 33 W 28 L 5 Pts 15 (3T)
1971 – AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND
12/05/1971 Queensland 15 – 11 Lions
22/05/1971 Counties/Thames Valley 3 – 25 Lions
29/05/1971 Waikato 14 – 35 Lions Try
09/06/1971 S/Mid Canterbury/North Otago 6 – 25 Lions
16/06/1971 West Coast/Buller 6 – 39 Lions
22/06/1971 Marlborough/Nelson Bays 12 – 31 Lions
14/07/1971 Wairarapa/Bush 6 – 27 Lions
21/07/1971 Poverty Bay/East Coast 12 – 18 Lions
31/07/1971 New Zealand 3 – 13 British & Irish Lions
07/08/1971 North Auckland 5 – 11 Lions
1977 – NEW ZEALAND
18/05/1977 Wairarapa/Bush 13 – 41 Lions
21/05/1977 Hawkes Bay 11 – 13 Lions
28/05/1977 Taranaki 13 – 21 Lions
01/06/1977 Wanganui/King Country 9 – 60 Lions Try
04/06/1977 Manawatu/Horowhenua 12 – 18 Lions
14/06/1977 NZ Universities 21 – 9 Lions Try
22/06/1977 S/Mid Canterbury/North Otago 6 – 45 Lions
02/07/1977 Wellington 6 – 13 Lions
05/07/1977 Marlborough/Nelson Bays 23 – 40 Lions
09/07/1977 New Zealand 9 – 13 British & Irish Lions
16/07/1977 Waikato 13 – 18 Lions
23/07/1977 Auckland 15 – 34 Lions
30/07/1977 New Zealand 19 – 7 British & Irish Lions
06/08/1977 North Auckland 7 – 18 Lions
1980 – SOUTH AFRICA
10/05/1980 Eastern Province 16 – 28 Lions
14/05/1980 SARA XV 6 – 28 Lions
21/05/1980 SA Invitation 19 – 22 Lions
27/05/1980 SAR Federation XV 6 – 15 Lions
31/05/1980 South Africa 26 – 22 British & Irish Lions
07/06/1980 Transvaal 12 – 32 Lions
14/06/1980 South Africa 26 – 19 British & Irish Lions
02/07/1980 SA Barbarians 14 – 25 Lions
08/07/1980 Griqualand West 19 – 23 Lions
