Stuart Lancaster back in Ireland after landing provincial role
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Head coach.
Connacht Rugby and the IRFU are delighted to announce the appointment of Stuart Lancaster as the club’s new Head Coach.
Lancaster has signed a two-year contract and arrives at the province with a wealth of coaching experience at the highest level of the sport, across all three major European leagues and at international level.
He most recently served as Head Coach of Racing 92 in France, and before then enjoyed a hugely successful seven-year spell as Senior Coach of Leinster Rugby. With primary responsibility for the day-to-day coaching of the team, he helped lead Leinster to four consecutive PRO14 titles and four Champions Cup finals, including victory in the 2018 decider.
He made the move to Leinster after four years as Head Coach of the England national team, with whom he led for four Six Nations campaigns and the 2015 Rugby World Cup in his native country. He was appointed to that role after four years as the RFU’s Head of Elite Player Development, where his primary remit was to help young players realise their potential at club and international level.
Lancaster began his coaching career over 20 years ago, as Head of Academy at Leeds RFU. He was then appointed Head Coach of the Leeds Tykes in 2006, leading them to promotion to the English Premiership in his first year in charge. After a further year as Head Coach, he was promoted to the RFU.
As Head Coach, Lancaster will also have responsibility for defence, thereby completing next season’s coaching team. Joining him will be new attack coach Rod Seib, scrum & contact coach Cullie Tucker, and lineout & maul coach John Muldoon.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Stuart Lancaster says:
“I’m hugely excited to be joining Connacht Rugby and begin this new chapter of my life in the West of Ireland with my wife Nina. Connacht is a club with a proud identity, a passionate supporter base, and enormous potential both on and off the field, so I’m honoured and humbled to be given the opportunity to lead the Professional Men’s team programme.
I’m a firm believer in creating an environment that enables players to thrive and realise their potential, while playing a brand of rugby that inspires the community of which they represent. Ever since my initial conversations with Willie, David and the rest of the selection committee, it’s clear that same belief exists here in Connacht, and that’s why I’m so excited by this opportunity.
There’s also the fantastic new facilities here at the new High-Performance Centre and Dexcom Stadium, which will further enable us to realise those goals.
I’m looking forward to working closely with all of the staff and players, and I can’t wait to get to know the supporters and wider community over the coming weeks and months.”
