Leinster confirm Noel McNamara as new head coach from next season

Leinster have confirmed that Noel McNamara will succeed Leo Cullen as head coach next summer. Cullen will depart the role after 12 years at the conclusion of the 2026/27 season.The 43-year-old McNamara will join Leinster from Bordeaux Bègles where he is currently the club’s attack coach. He helped them to deliver back-to-back Champions Cup titles including last May’s final victory over the Irish province in Bilbao.The Clare native will be returning to Leinster Rugby having previously worked with the club in several roles, age-grade coach, including academy manager and Leinster A head coach during a five-year spell between 2016 and 2021.[ Leinster’s leftfield head coach choice lacks stardust but makes senseOpens in new window ]He also coached in North Harbour, New Zealand, and led the Ireland Under-20s to a Grand Slam in 2019 and a Triple Crown in 2020 before the pandemic cut short the tournament. He spent two years in Durban with the Sharks as their attack and backs coach prior to joining Bordeaux. READ MOREMcNamara, who will take up the new position as Leinster head coach on July 1st, said: “I am delighted that I am returning to Leinster Rugby as head coach in 2027. This is one of the most prestigious roles in world rugby, and it is an honour to be given this responsibility.“I am very grateful to UBB and in particular Laurent Marti and Yannick Bru for supporting me in availing this opportunity. We have a very exciting season ahead with UBB and I am fully focused on that before moving back to Leinster next summer.”Leinster chief executive Shane Nolan said: “We are delighted to welcome Noel McNamara as the new head coach of Leinster Rugby in 2027. Noel has a long association with the club and emerged as our preferred candidate very early in the process. His transition into the role will be seamless and we look forward to welcoming him here next July after this season reaches its conclusion.”The province’s chief operating officer Guy Easterby said: “Along with a number of key stakeholders we set out clear criteria when we began this process to try to ensure that we secured a head coach that combined a strong understanding of Leinster and Irish rugby with a track record of success.“I believe that Noel is the right man to take on this responsibility from Leo and to build on the incredible job that he has done over the past 11 years as we continue to strive for excellence in everything we do. “I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank UBB President, Laurent Marti, and head coach, Yannick Bru, for their understanding and professionalism in dealing with this matter. I am also very grateful for the support of Shane Nolan, the Professional Game Board here in Leinster and IRFU performance director, David Humphreys throughout this process.”Humphreys said: “Noel brings a wealth of coaching experience, strong leadership qualities and a proven track record of developing players and coaching successful teams. He has a deep understanding of Irish rugby and I’m looking forward to working with him to ensure Leinster’s continued success, while supporting the development of players for the Ireland national team.”