NO sooner had Allan Coleman helped lead Leigh Miners Rangers to an historic treble he was already plotting to conquer South Africa.

The 40-year-old coach has been picked to take charge of the Rugby Football League’s England Community Lions for the next two years.

His first mission will be to tame the Rhinos over two Tests in South Africa.

The Under-20s side, which is made up of ex-pros and amateurs, will face a side of South African students next Wednesday before squaring up to the full national side the following Saturday.

“I have previously coached the Under-19s for the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BALA) but the Lions set-up is different,” said Coleman, fresh from masterminding the Miners’ first NCL Grand Final title in a decade, to add to the Premier Division’s League Leaders’ Shield and Conference Cup.

“While BALA is fully amateur, the Lions are run and funded directly by the RFL, so it is not solely for amateur players.

“We will be taking a mix over to South Africa of amateurs and ex-pros.

“So the team offers young players who have been maybe released by professional clubs the opportunity to represent their country.”

Coleman admits the job also offers him the chance to broaden his own CV.

During the four years he has spent coaching Miners, the dad-of-two has juggled his family life and rugby commitments with a job as a builder for Liberty Gas.

Before that, he coached the reserve team at Leigh Centurions and has ambitions to step up to the next level of coaching.

“I answered an application to coach the Lions, which was put up on the RFL website, and I am really excited to have got the job,” he said.

“We fly out on Saturday and will be taking a touring squad of 25 to South Africa, including 20 players, a masseur and a four-strong management team.

“Our base is at the high performance centre in Pretoria, so there will be no complaints about the training facility.

“And while two games in four days is sure to stretch the squad the experience will be great for the lads, many of whom harbour ambitions of playing at a higher level.”

Coleman will not be the only Miner on the tour, with Mark Nicolson and Connor Radcliffe, two of the club’s up-and-coming young players, chosen for the England squad.

If they are successful, the carrot for all the players and coaches in the touring party will be the possibility of another big trip next year.

“When I got the job I was told that the Lions would be touring America in 2016 so that should be an added incentive for all these guys,” added Coleman.

“I understand we will be taking an open age side over to the US as well as the U20s so it will be a much bigger squad, double the size, for me to organise and something I am already looking forward to.

“Obviously, the plan is to go abroad to emerging nations, in terms of rugby league, and hopefully help to spread the word and build a few more bridges that the professional game can use to grow the sport further in the future.

“So it is an honour and something we all take very seriously.”