The next year for Joe Schmidt suddenly looks a lot clearer.
The speculation over whether Schmidt would lead the British & Irish Lions in New Zealand, next summer, was put to bed this afternoon. Schmidt informed the Lions management after this year’s Six Nations that he would not be putting his name forward for head coach consideration.
EXCLUSIVE: Joe Schmidt will NOT be the British & Irish Lions coach https://t.co/egchSqLfja
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 22, 2016
There were a few factors that went into Schmidt’s decision not to pursue the Lions job, including strict starting date requirements and a lack of clarity on roles, but one overriding word made his mind up – family.
The extra travel that coaching the Lions entails – including flights across Europe and to New Zealand – did not appeal to Schmidt. Before taking the Ireland job, in 2013, and, later, extending his contract by a year, he consulted his family first. Once he had their backing, he pressed on.
Schmidt’s wife, Kellie, has been extremely supportive of his coaching career and the family are well embedded in Irish life but the temptation to return home to New Zealand, and to a wider family, will never entirely fade.
The Kiwi spoke, before this summer’s South Africa tour, about possibly heading home and cited his mother’s advancing years. He commented:
“I just have to report in with my mum at home after the tour and have a final chat with her.
“I don’t know who is tipping off my kids but they’re all bullying me at the moment.”
The fact that Schmidt’s two sons, Tim [pictured below] and Luke, have established friendships and connections in Ireland is of huge comfort to him. The fact that Schmidt became an Irish citizen in September 2015 further proved he and his family had embraced their adopted home and were more than happy to give back.
The phone call home to his mum may have a bearing on Schmidt’s final decision but the health and treatment of Luke may yet decide his future. The 13-year-old suffers from epilepsy and has already battled back from a brain tumour.
Following Ireland’s Six Nations championship win in 2015, Schmidt revealed he would be heading off to mainland Europe some 48 hours later in the hopes of finding some effective treatment. Again, after the Third Test against the Springboks, Luke’s wellbeing was not far from his mind. He told The Irish Examiner:
“[Staying in Ireland or going home] is not really my decision to be honest. I’ve got a young fella struggling at the moment. That’s just the way it is.”
The way Schmidt sees it, his family have given him a lot and he owes them even more.
He has unfinished business with Ireland would dearly love to stay on until 2019 but knows the decision is not squarely his to make.
New Zealand or Ireland. Either way the future falls, it will not involve him coaching the Lions.
The fork in the road just became a ‘V’.
