Warren Gatland has been officially named as the Head Coach of the British and Irish Lions for their tour of Australia in 2013.

The Lions kick-off their campaign against the Barbarians in Hong Kong next summer but the real focus will be on their three Test series against Australia.

The news certainly isn't surprising and Gatland has been the favourite ever since Wales' fantastic Rugby World Cup campaign but it will still build excitement for fans and players alike ahead of next year's tour.

The Lions fixtures are as follows:

Sat 1 June - Barbarians, Hong Kong
Wed 5 June - Western Force, Perth
Sat 8 June - Queensland Reds, Brisbane
Wed 12 June - Combined New South Wales-Queensland Country, Newcastle
Sat 15 June - New South Wales Waratahs, Sydney
Tue 18 June - ACT Brumbies, Canberra
Sat 22 June - First Test, Brisbane
Tue 25 June - Melbourne Rebels, Melbourne
Sat 29 June - Second Test, Melbourne
Sat 6 July - Third Test, Sydney

Scrum Five will be publishing a three-video series ahead of the Lions tour so watch this space, for now though, watch Nick Heath's interview with Gatland by clicking here.

Do you think Gatland is the right man for the job? Who should be in his coaching team?