Hill appointed to British & Irish Lions Charitable Trust board
England World Cup winner Richard Hill has joined the British & Irish Lions charitable trust's new board of trustees.
Former Ireland international, Fergus Slattery, a Lions tourist in 1971 and 1974, joins the board as chairman working alongside three new trustees: Hill, Gavin Hastings and Sam Warburton.
Established in 2002, the Lions Charitable Trust focuses on providing financial support for the home unions’ funds for injured players and offering assistance to Lions who may have fallen on hard times.
“We are delighted to appoint Fergus Slattery as chairman, and such an esteemed cohort of trustees,” said Shane Whelan, secretary of the Lions Charitable Trust.
“Their knowledge and network, which spans four generations of Lions, will be an exceptional asset as we develop the Trust and ensure it is in the best possible position to support worthy causes and former Lions in times of crisis.”
Flanker Hill made 71 appearances for his country and was at the heart of England’s triumphant World Cup winning side of 2003; a Lions tourist on three separate occasions (1997 South Africa, 2001 Australia, 2005 New Zealand) earning five Test caps.
The Lions are due to tour South Africa in 2021 and will be led by Warren Gatland.
Backrow forward Slattery was capped 61 times for Ireland, including 18 as captain, and was selected for the Lions Tours to New Zealand in 1971 and South Africa in 1974.
Scottish fullback Hastings played 61 times for his country, 20 as captain, and first played for the Lions in 1986, against a Rest of the World XV, before playing in all three Tests of the 1989 Tour to Australia. He was captain on the 1993 tour to New Zealand.
And Warburton made the first of his 74 caps for Wales in 2009, going on to skipper his country 49 times in a nine-year international career. At the age of 24, Warburton was made the youngest ever Lions captain for the 2013 tour to Australia, also leading the Lions again four years in New Zealand.
