Woodward wants Ruddock on tour

Wales boss could join Lions for Test series

Sir Clive Woodward's 71-strong pride of Lions could soon welcome one more member after the Welsh Rugby Union gave its unequivocal backing for Grand Slam-winning coach Mike Ruddock to join the New Zealand-bound tour party.

Ruddock welcomed the selection of ten of his RBS Six Nations winners for the trip to face the All Blacks, and confirmed Woodward's interest in him joining the management team - but only after Wales have completed their two-Test tour of North America.

Ruddock would miss the Lions' opening three games while guiding a new-look Wales team against the US Eagles on June 4 and Canada seven days later.

"Sir Clive made it known to me that he'd like me to consider going on the tour party," said Ruddock.

"I made it clear to him that my priority is to Wales, the Welsh Rugby Union and our summer tour to North America.

"It was flattering to be asked about or linked with a Lions involvement. But at the time Clive was going on holiday and I was on a break in Ireland so we said, 'right, let's get away, give it all a bit of thought and when we get back let's try to tie up a possible job description'.

"That's all that's happened so far and it's certainly not definite that I would be involved in any way shape or form, but I would like to explore a little bit more the job description Sir Clive might have in mind."

The WRU were widely criticised for not making anyone available for Woodward's initial management group, but chief executive David Moffett has revealed Ruddock can take the number of off-field Lions staff to 28.

"Mike has our support in this," said Moffett. "From the very beginning when we appointed Mike, we wanted him to concentrate on Wales and the tour to North America and that has proven to be the right thing, and Mike would say that as well.

"He hasn't had to worry about anything else and the Grand Slam in a first year's coaching? I'm not sure it gets any better than that.

"That achievement has also gone towards Sir Clive making the approach because I know he spent quite some time with Wales.

"I know he saw every one of our games and was mightily impressed, not only with the way we played, but with the whole management set-up, the teamwork.

"Mike and his coaching team have to find 10 players to take to America and Canada to fill the places left by the Lions' selection, which is exciting in itself.

"If there is an opportunity for Mike to go on the Lions tour we would be behind it because it would be fantastic for him and Welsh rugby."

Commenting on the 10 Welshmen to make Woodward's party, Ruddock said: "We still have the press cutting on our wall that had the pundits picking Lions 22 that had no Welshmen in it.

"We have made big leaps forward as a team and as a nation and that's reflected in the 10 players selected for the Lions tour.

"The test will be whether or not we can get more than was predicted by the pundits in the Test team and I'm sure we will.

"It's disappointing that a few more Welsh players aren't going. We'd have liked to get a few more in, but overall it's been a very positive season for Welsh rugby and 10 players in the selection reflects that.

"If someone had said at the start of the season, you'll win a Grand Slam, Triple Crown and championship and then get 10 players on the Lions tour, we'd have settled for that.

"We are delighted and pleased for the players involved. It's a milestone for them, but having said that we'd have liked to have got a few more in the Lions squad and I'm sure a lot of things were in the balance until the last minute."