Leicester assistant Rob Taylor granted early release after just 5 months at Welford Road

Struggling Leicester are on the look-out for a new attack coach after Rob Taylor, who only arrived at the Gallagher Premiership club in June, sought an early release from his contract. The Aucklander, who had been working in Australia since 2016, was recruited as part of the lockdown backroom reshuffle that followed the arrival of Steve Borthwick as head coach and Geordan Murphy becoming director of rugby.

Tigers went on finish eleventh in the Premiership after winning just two of their nine games in the restarted 2019/20 league while they also exited the European Challenge Cup at the semi-final stage in Toulon following a quarter-final walkover against covid-hit Castres.    

Leicester have begun the process to replace Taylor full-time, but current academy head coach Matt Smith will take on the attack coach role on an interim basis. 

A Leicester statement read: "Leicester Tigers have granted Rob Taylor an early release from his contract with the club on compassionate grounds, allowing the assistant coach to return to New Zealand.

"Taylor arrived in Leicester from Australia in June, ahead of the resumption of the 2019/20 campaign, to oversee the Tigers attack. Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick thanked Taylor for his contribution to the club."

Borthwick said: “On behalf of the players, coaching team and everybody at Leicester Tigers, I thank Rob for his efforts and contribution to our club. “It has been a shorter stay than we would have all hoped, but we are grateful for what he has given to Tigers and wish him well in whatever comes next.”

Taylor added: "I wish the coaches, players and staff the very best." The exit of Taylor follows the recent announcement that scrum coach Boris Stankovich is also leaving ahead of the November 21 start of the new 2020/21 season at home to Gloucester.