Joe Schmidt’s chances fade as next Lions coach set to take year out

Joe Schmidt’s hopes of coaching the British and Irish Lions against New Zealand in 2017 may have received a setback after tour manager John Spencer revealed that only a head coach able to take a year-long sabbatical will be considered to lead the 2017 tour to New Zealand.

Ireland’s two-time RBS 6 Nations-winning coach Schmidt is one of the front-runners to lead the Lions as head coach when they travel south to take on the world champion All Blacks 17 months from now.

Yet his chances of landing the appointment at the end of this summer have been muddied given his contract with the IRFU only runs to June 30, 2017.