Mike McGurn will leave the Ospreys at the end of the current season in order to spend more time with his family. The highly-rated fitness and conditioning coach’s family are still based in Belfast and McGurn felt unable to commit to another year in Wales.

McGurn joined the Welsh franchise last year after a hugely impressive stint with Ireland where he built a reputation for dedication and excellence under Eddie O’Sullivan.

He recently worked with Bernard Dunne in the build-up to the Dubliner’s successful world title bid and the former Cork manager Gerald McCarthy had attempted to secure his services on Leeside.

Despite enjoying his experience with the Ospreys, McGurn felt unable to keep travelling back and forth from his Belfast home has opted to call it a day.

“I’ve had a fantastic year,” the Fermanagh native said today. “It’s a great organisation that I believe will go on to bigger and better things in the coming seasons, I’m just disappointed that circumstances dictate that I won’t be a part of the organisation for longer.”

Andrew Hore, the performance director at the club, thanked McGurn for the “huge impact” he made over the last year.

“He has made a huge impact in his short period on the Ospreys staff, and we value the input he has had, and continues to have,” Hore said.

“However, his personal circumstances are such that he felt that he was unable to continue to commit 100 per cent to the Ospreys.”