Frontrunner emerges to replace Leo Cullen at Leinster Rugby
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Successor.
A clear frontrunner has reportedly emerged in the race to replace Leo Cullen as Leinster head coach.
Former Leinster star and current Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi is now leading the race to succeed Cullen when he steps down at the end of the 2026/27 season.
According to The Irish Examiner, Contepomi is the frontrunner for the position, with Leinster prepared to wait until after the 2027 Rugby World Cup to bring him back to Dublin.
The 49-year-old is currently contracted with Argentina through to the tournament in Australia and has previously spoken about his commitment to Los Pumas ahead of the World Cup.
Contepomi would be a hugely familiar figure at Leinster.
The former Argentina international spent six seasons with the province as a player between 2003 and 2009, helping them win their first Heineken Cup in his final season.
He later returned to Leinster as part of Cullen’s coaching staff in 2018, initially working as backs coach before leaving in 2022 to join Michael Cheika’s Argentina setup.
Contepomi subsequently replaced Cheika as Los Pumas head coach following the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
The report also provides an interesting update on another high-profile name who has been linked with the Leinster job.
Ronan O’Gara is understood to have had support from some members of the Leinster playing group, but The Irish Examiner reports there was resistance elsewhere within and around the organisation to the prospect of appointing the Munster legend.
O’Gara now appears increasingly unlikely to succeed Cullen, with the former Ireland out-half reportedly close to agreeing a new long-term contract with La Rochelle.
Leinster confirmed earlier this year that Cullen will step down as head coach following the conclusion of the 2026/27 campaign, bringing an end to more than a decade in charge.
