World Cup team reunited in Lions management

Sir Clive Woodward today revealed the largest management party ever assembled for a Lions tour, including 12 of the back-up team that helped England win the World Cup.

Head coach Woodward, who resigned from the England job last month, will have 26 management personnel at his disposal for the 11-match tour of New Zealand next summer.

He is already committed to taking the biggestever playing squad and 26 extra bodies will cause some logistical problems. Just finding enough match tickets is going to be a headache.

Woodward's attention to detail at the World Cup will be replicated in New Zealand, where the Lions have not won a Test series since 1971.

Andy Robinson, Woodward's successor as England coach, and Ireland's Eddie O'Sullivan will work alongside him with the Test side while the midweek team will be under the overall control of Ian McGeechan, the man who led the Lions to Test series triumphs in Australia in 1989 and South Africa in 1997.

The party will include a Queen's Counsel, a chef and a former international referee.

Richard Smith, the legal advisor, helped keep England in the World Cup after the 16-man row after the match with Samoa.