Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Jamison-Gibson Park is announced in the Lions squad as Maro Itoje and Andy Farrell watch on.Billy Stickland/INPHO FreeInterview Gibson-Park relishing Lions adventure after 'emotional rollercoaster' with Leinster ‘A couple of unbelievable players – it will be awesome to spend some time with them and pick their brains.’ 2.44pm, 18 May 2025 Share options WALKING INTO THE carpark of a Richmond Hotel, the group of red polos was impossible to miss. Gathered around the coffee truck was the latest iteration of the great and good of British and Irish rugby, the first arrivals from Andy Farrell’s chosen few to the first get together for the 2025 Lions. Players were more than happy to partake in the free flat whites. Less so the appetising pastries on display. The gathering press pack, boasting less strict diets, stepped up in their stead. Jamison Gibson-Park’s chat with Finn Russell was eye-catching. The questions on a future test half-back combination write themselves. Later, Tomos Williams, a rival for that scrumhalf shirt, arrived to dap up his future teammates, the Leinster and Ireland nine included. “I’m looking forward to getting stuck in,” said Gibson-Park of working with his new acquaintances. “A couple of unbelievable players, massive parts of the teams they play on. It will be awesome to spend some time with them and pick their brains.” Advertisement “You’d like to think it’s a blank canvas,” he said when asked of his odds on winning the starting jersey. Farrell, the man who once disagreed with the scrumhalf pecking order at Leinster when picking Gibson-Park for Ireland, is clearly a fan. Barring a stint when Jack Crowley was Ireland’s first choice 10, Gibson-Park has enjoyed Irish rugby’s favoured buzz word when moving from Leinster to Ireland: cohesion. For so long, Johnny Sexton was his partner in crime for both sides. Now it’s Sam Prendergast. Playing with Russell, Fin Smith or Marcus Smith – be it on the Test or midweek team – brings a new challenge. “We’ll see once we get stuck into a bit of work,” said Gibson-Park. “Some hugely exciting talent and some fellas I can’t wait to play with, looking forward to that.” While it was all smiles on an outing which inevitably had first day of school vibes, Gibson-Park’s Lions selection came at the end of a more turbulent week. That Saturday brought the crushing Champions Cup defeat to Northampton. The Monday brought news that Caelan Doris would be having a procedure on his shoulder. Thursday saw the euphoria of selection for 12 Leinster players, only to be accompanied by the low that was confirmation of Doris’ injury-enforced absence. Gibson-Park in action against Northampton Saints.Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO “It was bizarre, to tell you the truth,” acknowledges Gibson-Park. “Emotional rollercoaster. There’s plenty going on, Caelan being the biggest one. It was unbelievably tough on him, he’s been such a good player for club and country. “He’s had an unbelievable run with injuries, it’s just the cruelty of the game sometimes. We were sickened for him, but in the same breath there’s something there to celebrate. Pretty strange week.” Rugby moves on quickly. Doris shifts his focus to rehab while his team-mates embark on their Lions meet and greet. Day one allows Gibson-Park to regale unfamiliar English journalists with tales of growing up on Great Barrier Island. He has plenty of family “dotted around New Zealand”, sets of both Gibsons and Parks who will make the trip to Australia. It turns out Jamison is the first of his family to have both sides feature in his double-barrelled name. “My mum is the eldest of four daughters so she kept the Gibson rolling!” “My Nana lives up in Auckland with aunties and uncles. Out on Great Barrier there are cousins, aunts uncles, it’ll be awesome. “They’ll be there in numbers!” Nathan Johns Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Gibson-Park relishing Lions adventure after 'emotional rollercoaster' with Leinster”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Gibson-Park relishing Lions adventure after 'emotional rollercoaster' with Leinster”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. 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