Athlone man part of Lions medical team for Lions tour

Athlone physiotherapist Keith Fox will be part of the medical team for the British & Irish Lions squad which will tour Australia this summer.

It's another major honour for the Cornamagh native who was on duty for Ireland in the last two Rugby World Cups (Japan in 2019 and France in 2023).

Keith is part of the team which runs Action Physio, a physiotherapy and sports injury clinic based in Blyry Business Park, Athlone. His brothers Alan and Robbie are also central figures in the business.

However, there was disappointment for Robbie Henshaw who missed out on a place in the Lions squad, when it was named in London last Thursday.

Henshaw was part of the squad for the Lions tour to South Africa in 2021, and the Leinster ace started all three tests in a bruising series won by the Springboks. He was one of nine players to start all three tests for the Lions.

The Athlone man was also a member of the Lions squad for the tour of New Zealand in 2017, but injury cut short his involvement.

With Andy Farrell and his coaching team selecting the best players from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, Henshaw obviously faced very stiff competition for a place in the 38-man squad.

The three tests between the Lions and Australia will take place on July 19 (Brisbane), July 26 (Melbourne) and August 2 (Sydney). The Lions squad, which contains 15 Irish players, will be captained by England lock forward Maro Itoje.

The fact that the Australian head coach is former Ireland boss Joe Schmidt will add another intriguing element to the series.

The tour will begin with a fixture versus Western Force in Perth on June 28, and there will be four more games before the first test against the Wallabies.