GERALD DAVIES - Tour Manager

Born: 7 February, 1945 - Llansaint, Wales

Thomas Gerald Reames Davies CBE, who appeared in five Tests while touring twice with the British & Irish Lions as a player, was appointed Tour Manager of the 2009 British & Irish Lions in November, 2007.

His first tour was to South Africa in 1968, when he played in the third Test and scored three tries in eight matches against provincial opposition. In New Zealand in 1971 he played in all four Tests in the 2-1-1 series win, scoring twice in the second Test and getting another try in the third Test. He also scored seven tries in six appearances against provinces, including four against Hawkes Bay .

Davies studied at Loughborough University and won three rugby Blues at Cambridge University, playing club rugby for Cardiff and London Welsh. He captained Cardiff for three seasons in the 1970s. He made his international debut on 3 December, 1966 against Australia in Cardiff, and won his 46 th and final cap against the same opposition in 1978. He scored a then record 20 tries for his country.

After retiring as a player, Davies became a journalist, writing on rugby for The Times. He holds Honorary Fellowships from the University of Wales , Lampeter and the University of Wales , Aberystwyth. He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from Cardiff University in a graduation ceremony held on 15 July 2008 and three days later he received an honorary degree from Loughborough University for services to sport and journalism.

IAN McGEECHAN - Head Coach

Born: 30 October, 1946 - Leeds , England

Ian McGeechan was appointed Head Coach for the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa on 14 May, 2008 and has since visited the Republic with Tour Manager Gerald Davies on fact finding missions.

It will be McGeechan's fifth trip as a coach and his seventh tour in total as he also toured South Africa in 1974 (four Tests) and New Zealand in 1977 (four Tests) as a player. In that regard he has surpassed the legendary Willie John McBride, who went on five tours as a player and one as a manager. McGeechan then made three tours as Head Coach, to Australia in 1989, New Zealand in 1993 and South Africa in 1997 and as an assistant coach to New Zealand in 2005.

He played for Headingley and made his debut for Scotland in 1972. He won 32 caps, playing at outside half and centre, and captained Scotland in nine Tests. In 1986 he became assistant Scotland coach and in 1988 was promoted to coach. In 1990, his team won a Grand Slam and Five Nations Championship title. In 1994 he was appointed Northampton Saints' Director of Rugby and in 1999 as Scottish Director of Rugby .

In 2005 he took over as Director of Rugby at London Wasps - a position he still holds - and in his first season he guided Wasps to the Powergen Anglo Welsh Cup title and followed that up with the Heineken Cup in 2007 and the Guinness Premiership Final title last season.

WARREN GATLAND - Assistant Coach (Forwards)

Born: 17 September, 1963 - Hamilton , New Zealand

Warren Gatland was appointed as the 20 th Welsh national coach on 9 November, 2007, and in just over four months guided Wales to the 2008 RBS Six Nations Champions title and the nation's 10 th Grand Slam. He first tasted defeat when Wales were beaten in both Tests of their South African tour in June earlier this year.

The former hooker made his All Blacks debut against Western Australia in Perth and played 17 times for New Zealand , without playing in a Test. He captained and made 140 appearances for Waikato , including a 38-10 win over the 1993 British & Irish Lions.

He launched his coaching career as player/coach for Taupiri in 1989 and stayed on in Ireland after the 1989 New Zealand tour to act as player/coach for Galwegians.

In 1996, he became Connacht coach before succeeding Brian Ashton as Ireland coach in 1998, a post he held until 2001 with a record of 18 wins, a draw and 19 defeats from his 38 games in charge.

He then joined the coaching staff at London Wasps and took over as director of rugby in 2002. He steered Wasps to the Premiership title in 2003, 2004 and 2005 - conceding only one try in three Twickenham finals. In Europe , his side won the Challenge Cup in 2003 and the Heineken Cup at Twickenham in 2004.

He returned to New Zealand in 2005, where he took over as coach to the Waikato Air New Zealand Cup team and in 2006 they won the Air New Zealand Cup. He joined the Waikato Chiefs Super 14 team as technical advisor before taking over in Wales .

SHAUN EDWARDS - Assistant Coach (Defence)

Born: 17 October, 1966 - Wigan , England

Shaun Edwards, who worked closely with Warren Gatland at London Wasps, linked up with Gatland again when Edwards joined the Welsh Rugby Union as Assistant Coach (Defence) on 14 January, 2008. He works part time with Wales during tournaments and tours up until January 2010 while continuing as London Wasps head coach. Wales conceded just two tries in winning the 2008 RBS Six Nations Championship and Grand Slam.

He signed for Wigan for £35,000 on his 17th birthday and made 467 appearances for the club, scoring 1,140 points. He won the Challenge Cup eight seasons in a row with Wigan and nine times in all. He also won eight Championship titles with Wigan .

He played 36 times for Great Britain , scoring 16 tries, and played in the 1992 and 1995 World Cups with England . He also played professionally for Balmain Tigers, in Australia , London Broncos and Bradford Bulls.

Recently voted the fourth best British rugby league player of all-time, he returned to rugby union in 2002 when he became backs coach at Wasps. His winning partnership with Gatland produced six trophies in three seasons, including the European Challenge Cup in 2003 and the Heineken Cup in 2004.

He is currently in his fifth season as Head Coach at Wasps, working under Director of Rugby and British & Irish Lions 2009 coach Ian McGeechan, and has added a second Heineken Cup triumph and last season's Guinness Premiership Final title to his tally which now includes tow Heineken Cup, four English Premiership crowns, one European Challenge Cup and an Anglo-Welsh Powergen Cup triumph.

ROBERT HOWLEY - Assistant Coach (Backs)

Born: 13 October, 1970 - Bridgend, Wales

Robert Howley, a member of Warren Gatland's 2008 Grand Slam winning coaching team, cut his coaching teeth as Cardiff Blues backs coach and, when he was appointed Wales Assistant Coach (Attack) on 14 January, 2008, he combined the jobs for club and country until joining the national team on a full time basis in July.

When a hand injury forced him to retire while a player with London Wasps he returned to Wales to take up the post at Cardiff Blues in 2005. He has coaching qualifications via both the RFU and WRU systems and worked under Head Coach Dai Young at the Blues for three seasons.

The former scrum half won 59 caps for Wales , scoring 10 tries, and captained his country to 15 wins in 22 matches, including a run of 10 successive victories in 1999 and Wales ' only win against South Africa in 22 Tests between the countries. He led Wales to the quarter-finals of the 1999 World Cup on home soil and was voted Welsh Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997.

He twice toured with the British & Irish Lions. Injury wrecked his dreams on the 1997 tour to South Africa after only five matches, while he played in the first two Tests in Australia in 2001 before injury once again took its toll. He played for Bridgend, Cardiff and London Wasps, helping Wasps to win the Heineken Cup and the Premiership titles. He is one of only eight Welsh players to have won a Heineken Cup winners medal.

GRAHAM ROWNTREE - Assistant Coach (Scrum)

Born: 18 April, 1971 - Stockton-on-Tees, England

Graham Rowntree became the fourth former Lions Test player to join the 2009 Management and Coaching team bound for South Africa when he was appointed Assistant Coach (Scrum) in December, 2008. A veteran of 398 appearances for Leicester Tigers between 1990-2007, he won 54 caps for England as a loose-head prop and also toured South Africa in 1997 and New Zealand in 2005 with the British & Irish Lions.

A Grand Slam winner with England in 2003, he was twice a winner of the Heineken Cup with the Tigers and he also won four Premiership titles, two Pilkington Cups and a Courage league crown at club level. He made his England debut as a replacement against Scotland in 1995 and went on to play in the 1995 and 1999 Rugby World Cups. He was chosen for the 1997 Lions tour to South Africa and made his Lions debut in the 18-14 win over Border in East London on 28 May, 1997. He made six non-Test appearances on the tour and finally made his Lions Test bow some eight years later in New Zealand. Having been overlooked for the 2001 trip to Australia, he was one of eight Leicester Tigers players included in Sir Clive Woodward's 2005 squad. He packed down against the Pumas in the pre-tour game and then came off the bench in the last two Tests to add to his international honours. In all, he made 12 appearances for the Lions.

As soon as he retired from playing he joined the Leicester Tigers' coaching staff as an assistant coach and he become part of the England National Academy in June 2007. He was appointed an England Specialist Coach in June 2007 and in August 2008 became an Assistant Coach.

CRAIG WHITE - Head of Physical Conditioning

Born: 9 October, 1971 - Wigan , England

Craig Anthony White was recruited in May, 2008 by the Welsh Rugby Union as conditioning coach to complete the national squad coaching team. He was recently elevated by the WRU to the position of National Squad Performance Manager.

He was previously Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Leicester Tigers and has worked at the top level with the Irish Rugby Union, London Wasps and the 2005 British & Irish Lions. He worked with Warren Gatland, Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley at Wasps at a time when the club won the European Challenge Cup, Heineken Cup and three Premiership titles. While working at Leicester , the club won the EDF Energy Cup, the Premiership title and reached the Heineken Cup final.

He has an impressive track record in top class soccer with Bolton Wanderers and has studied with experts from many other sports including athletics, power lifting and ASL. He played amateur rugby league for Great Britain before moving into the strength and conditioning side of coaching with Waterloo .

PAUL STRIDGEON - Physical Conditioner

Born: 28 June, 1980 - Wigan , England

Paul joined the England Rugby Union set up in the summer of 2008 as the National Fitness Coach having previously worked for five years at London Wasps and a year at Warrington Wolves.

A former Wigan St John Fisher Pupil, he represented England at Freestyle Wrestling at the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002 before giving up the sport to join London Wasps in the same year as part of their conditioning staff.

While at Wasps the club won three Premierships, the Powergen Cup, two Heineken Cups and the Parker Pen (European) Shield. This is his first Lions tour.

RHYS LONG - Head of Performance Analysis

Born: 20 November, 1981 - Cardiff , Wales

Rhys Long was appointed as Head of Performance Analysis for the Welsh Rugby Union in August, 2007. The former London Wasps' Technical Analyst joined a three-man analysis team supporting not only the Wales national team but the entire elite performance structure in Wales, from national age grade sides to Sevens and elite referees.

Long, a former Welsh Schools No.8 and player at Bridgend before suffering a lower leg injury graduated in Sports Science at UWIC in 2003 before taking an MSc in Performance Analysis and joining London Wasps in 2005. While at Wasps, Rhys was part of the management team that took the side to the inaugural Anglo-Welsh Powergen Cup final victory and the Heineken Cup final win in 2007.

RHODRI BOWN - Performance Analyst

Born: 18 December, 1979 - Carmarthen , Wales

Born in Carmarthen, Rhodri attended the same school, Bro Myrddin, as Wales, Scarlets and British & Irish Lions outside half Stephen Jones. After leaving school he studied at Uwic, where he graduated with honours in Sports Science. After completing his degree he spent three years working under former international referee Corris Thomas at the IRB Game Analysis Centre based at Uwic, in Cardiff.

During that time he worked with both the Llanelli and Newport club sides. He then joined the Celtic Warriors as the newly formed region's Performance Analyst. He then joined forces with Alun Carter at the Welsh Rugby Union working with the national side at the start of the 2004/05 season. Five years, and two Grand Slams, later he will be joining the Welsh team's current Head of Performance Analysis, Rhys Long, with the Lions.

Dr JAMES ROBSON - Head Doctor

Born: 24 November, 1957 - Whitehaven , England

Dr James Robson initially qualified as a physio from Queen Margaret College in Edinburgh before spending a further six years studying medicine at Dundee University . He is currently Head of Medical Services / National Team Doctor for the SRU

His first official post in rugby came in 1991, when he took up the role of Scottish team physio on their tour to Canada . He held that post until 1996. He then graduated to become the Scottish team doctor at the start of season 2002/2003, having filled the same role with Scotland A between1998-2002 and been the doctor/physio for Scotland 7s from 1996-2001.

He has been the team doctor on the past four British & Irish Lions tours - to New Zealand in 1993, South Africa in 1997, Australia in 2001 and New Zealand four years ago.

Dr GARY O'DRISCOLL - Doctor

Born: 27 October, 1969 - Manchester , England

Gary is the son of former Irish full-back Barry, with whom he is in general practice with in Manchester. A specialist in sports medicine he became Doctor to the Irish senior side in the summer of 2002 and has been part of all their major internationals and tours.

He left the Irish set up in February 2009 after eleven years of involvement with Irish rugby to become the team doctor for Arsenal Football Club. He has previously worked with the Irish under 21 team in three World Cups and has covered many other sports including international rugby league, basketball, American football, netball and cycling events. He is a member of the sports medicine steering group for London 2012.

He previously toured with the Lions to New Zealand in 2005.

PRAV MATHEMA - Physiotherapist

Born: 23 July, 1977 - Kathmandu , Nepal

Prav became Head Physiotherapist at Wasps in the summer of 2007 in his first season he saw the club win the Guinness Premiership title.

He joined from QPR where he had worked with the Rangers team for eight years and during that time experienced a Play Off Final and Promotion.

This is his first Tour with the Lions.

PHIL PASK - Physiotherapist

Born: 14 March, 1960 - Worksop , England

Phil has been involved in close to 140 tests with England since he started working with the elite squad in 1997; he was notably part of the team's winning 2003 World Cup campaign.

A former Northampton Saints open side flanker who featured in over 150 games for the club between 1986 and 1994; after he retired from playing he went on to become the Saints fitness trainer and then head Physiotherapist till solely focussing on England from 2003.

He still maintains links with the club and was appointed to the Board in January 2007. This is his second Tour with the Lions having toured with them in 2005.

BOB STEWART - Physiotherapist

Head of Medical Services at Gloucester, Bob has worked with the West Country club since August 2007.

He worked with the Scottish senior rugby team from 1999 to 2006 before leaving to head Worcester's medical team for the 2006/2007 season.

Bob is reunited with the Lions for the second time since touring with the side in 2005.

RICHARD WEGRZYK - Masseur

Born: 19 April, 1963 - Taplow , England

Richard began his work with England as Masseur in 1992, where he saw over 160 tests whilst with the Senior team.

He currently is the England Sevens Masseur a post that he took up in 2008. When not with the Sevens he runs a private practice in Twickenham.

his is his fourth Lions Tour having toured in 1997, 2001 and 2005.

GREG THOMAS - Head of Media

Born: 14 March, 1963 - Swansea , Wales

Greg Thomas will be following a family tradition by joining a Lions tour to South Africa as his father, Clem Thomas, was a Test player on the 1955 tour. Born in Swansea he played for the All Whites, London Welsh, Welsh Universities and Wales Students before emigrating to Australia , where he played for the Sydney-based club, Randwick .

In 1995 he left his post as an Executive Managing Editor in a magazine publishing company in Sydney to become the Media Manager at the Australian Rugby Union. In that role he acted as the Wallabies Team Media Manager at the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa.

In 1997 he was appointed the Senior Media Advisor to the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. During the Games he was the Venue Media Manager at the Aquatics Centre. After the Olympics he became Deputy Managing Director of the Australian Tourism Export Council before taking up the post of Head of Communications at the IRB in 2004.

He has worked in different capacities at four Rugby World Cups, latterly as head of Communications and Media, and is shortly to return to Australia to set up a Sports Media Consultancy.

LOUISE RAMSAY - Operations Manager

Born: 9 August, 1968 - Luton , England

Louise Ramsay came into rugby after a decade of success working for the British Olympic Association. As Director of Games Services she had logistic responsibility for British teams at three summer and winter Olympics and was awarded an MBE in 2001 in recognition of her work with the BOA.

She joined the England rugby team as team manager in 2001 and was a key part of Sir Clive Woodward's management team as they helped deliver the Grand Slam and Rugby World Cup in 2003. She continued in that post until 2004 when she accepted the role of team manager for the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour party.

In 2007 she was appointed team Operations Manager for the 2009 tour to South Africa .

GUY RICHARDSON - Logistics Officer

Born: 25 June, 1965 - Tidworth , England

Appointed Team Manager for the Scottish national side in May 2004 he has overseen all the first teams' involvement in RBS Six Nations, Autumn Internationals, overseas Tours and the Rugby World Cup in 2007.

Guy was previously in the army and served with the Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) for 20 years reaching the rank of Major; he saw operational tours in Northern Ireland, the first Gulf War, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Bosnia. This will be his first Tour with the Lions.

PADDY 'RALA' O'REILLY - Baggage Master

Born: 15 April, 1948 - Dublin , Ireland

Rala is in his fifteenth year as baggage master for Ireland with who he has toured every major rugby playing nation, that includes three World Cups.

A former pupil at Terenure College, where on the rugby field he played as hooker - he began doing the bag' for Terenure College RFC around 1983 this led to working with the Leinster U20 side that included Conor O'Shea, Shane Byrne, Martin Ridge and Niall Woods. He then moved onto the Leinster Senior team under coach Jim Glennon, continuing to combine that role with his Terenure work before becoming bagman to the National side in 1995.

CHRISTINE CONNOLLY - Communications Manager

Born: 26 December, 1964 - Tonneins , France

Christine Connolly is the Communications Manager for both the British & Irish Lions and the Six Nations companies, a post she has held since January, 2007. She has worked for both companies at their Dublin headquarters since 2000.

In 2001, she helped to co-ordinate the Lions commercial programme for their tour to Australia in conjunction with Octagon Marketing and was heavily involved in the management of the travel and hospitality for the VIPs. Her Lions experience also includes liaising with management on the return of injured players and making preparations for their replacements to travel to join the tour.

She was responsible for organising the pre and post match functions at the Millennium Stadium in 2005 around the Lions' game against Argentina, that included an 800 strong "Farewell Dinner" for the tourists.

LOUISA CHEETHAM - Media Manager

Born: 24 April, 1972 - Stamford , USA

Louisa Cheetham will be heading to her third Lions tour as a key member of the Media Management team. With more than 13 years experience working in sports marketing and media, she has developed strong links with rugby.

She was one of the Octagon Consultancy team that so successfully activated Zurich's sponsorship of the English Premiership, the 2001 and 2005 Lions tours, the Heineken Cup and England Rugby.

On the 2001 Lions tour to Australia she was the Commercial Media Manager, while four years later in New Zealand she developed and implemented the communications strategy and programme for the tourists - from 12 months out and through the tour.

RICHARD SMITH - Legal Support

Born: 28 January, 1963 - Worcester , England

Richard grew up in the West Country where his life was dominated by sport particularly rugby and soccer. He went to London University to study Law and was called to the Bar in 1986 taking up tenancy as a Barrister in Chambers in Bristol, specialising in Crime and Sports law.

He was appointed Queens Counsel at only 38, and appointed a Recorder (part time judge) in 2000. His work with England started in 2003 with preparation for the World Cup, having previously sat on RFU disciplinary panels. He toured with the Lions in 2005.

DAVE CAMPBELL - Chef

Born: 30 June, 1971 - Glasgow , Scotland

The Glaswegian Chef first worked in rugby with Clive Woodward's team from 2001 to the build to the 2003 World Cup. He toured with the Lions in 2005. Dave played tennis and squash to Scottish Schools level and rugby with Helensbrugh at full back and centre.

His interest in cooking began as a teenager with summer visits to his Uncle's Hotel outside Birmingham and he began training as a chef at seventeen. He spent 3 years studying in Glasgow before working in London, Aylesbury and then Pennyhill Park where he spent seven years and first came into contact with the England team in 2001.

He then worked with Clive Woodward's team from then on to the build to the 2003 World Cup. This is his second Tour with the Lions having worked with them in New Zealand in 2005.