Leinster confirm Leo Cullen contract extension as talks held with Leon MacDonald for assistant role

As expected, and as reported by The Irish Times, the IRFU and Leinster Rugby have confirmed a two-year contract for Leo Cullen as the Leinster head coach.

Cullen, who won 221 caps for Leinster as a player, as well as 32 caps for Ireland, is thus set to extend his hugely successful tenure at the helm to a decade after succeeding Matt O’Connor in August 2015 following one season as forwards coach.

The former Leinster lock has led Leinster to a Champions Cup title in 2018 when beating Racing 92 in Bilboa, as well as the final in 2019 and last season when losing to Saracens and La Rochelle, as well as four Pro14/URC victories during his tenure. In June 2022, he was named the United Rugby Championship, Coach of the Year for the second time having previously won the award in 2018.

[ Leinster beat Dragons to make it 18 wins from 18 this season ]

Previously, Cullen was also captain of three Heineken Cup-winning squads in 2009, 2011 and 2012, before retiring at the end of the 2013/14 season when winning a Pro12 title in his final game at the RDS Arena against Glasgow Warriors.

The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times

---

How does Leinster’s dominance benefit Irish rugby as a whole?

---

Jordie Barrett’s signing is a compliment - Leinster and Ireland garner more intrigue than ever before

---

Late drama sees Ulster pip Cardiff in Richie Murphy’s first home game in charge

---

With Stuart Lancaster moving on to become the new head coach at Racing 92 at the end of the season after working for seven seasons alongside Cullen as Leinster’s senior coach, it is still expected that Cullen and Leinster will rejig the coaching ticket with an additional appointment to work with Andrew Goodman, Robin McBryde, Emmet Farrell and Sean O’Brien.

The new assistant will most likely come from the southern hemisphere and The Irish Times understands that one of those whom Leinster have had discussions with is the former All Blacks’ fullback Leon MacDonald.

MacDonald played 56 times for the All Blacks and is highly regarded as a coach after cutting his teeth with Tasman and then as the Crusaders backs coach for two seasons before becoming head coach at the Auckland Blues in 2019.

It has also been reported in the Scottish media that the SRU chief executive Mark Dodson had held discussions with MacDonald about succeeding Gregor Townsend.

Welcoming Cullen’s appointment, the Leinster chief executive Shane Nolan said: “This is great news for all Leinster supporters. Since 2015, Leo has done a remarkable job as head coach and securing his signature was one of my top priorities.

“The consistency and the leadership he displayed as a player, we see again as head coach in keeping Leinster Rugby competitive season after season.

“And he does that by surrounding himself with good people and by trusting the player pathway and the from the ground up model that we have developed here in Leinster through our clubs and our schools.

“I am delighted that he has agreed to stay on and I wish him all the very best for the run of games that we have left this season and for the two seasons beyond that. It’s an exciting time ahead and I am delighted that Leo is with us to drive the club forward.”

[ Leinster and Ireland fullback Hugo Keenan signs central contract until 2026 ]

Speaking to the province’s website, Cullen said: “It is a great honour for me to be asked to extend my time at Leinster. I feel very fortunate to able to work with such a brilliant group of people here.

“Many thanks to Shane Nolan, Guy Easterby and the Leinster professional game board along with David Nucifora from the IRFU for their continued support and backing of me through this process. Also to my family and friends, who only show me love and support, thank you for all the sacrifices you make.

“We are entering a really exciting period of the season and we are all focused on delivering our best in front of lots of people who have backed us all through our careers.”

IRFU performance director, David Nucifora, commented: “The province is starting a new chapter next season with the loss of some influential voices in their environment, so it was important that Leo agreed to sign on for a further two years.

“He is a driving force behind a lot of the good work that goes on at Leinster and the stability and insight he brings will enable Leinster to transition successfully while also continuing to compete for honours and bring through new talent.”