New DOR Kidney lays out his plans for London Irish as they plot swift Premiership return

London Irish have confirmed that Declan Kidney will be their new director of rugby, replacing Nick Kennedy who stepped down from the role.

Kidney initially joined the club in March as a technical consultant, with Les Kiss as head coach. They were brought in to work alongside Kennedy, but the 35-year-old departed just a few weeks later.

Despite failing to stop London Irish sliding out of the Premiership the club's chief executive Brian Facer has been suitably impressed by the positive impact that Kidney – along with head coach Les Kiss – have had.

“Declan has been brilliant since arriving as technical consultant,” said Facer.

“We’ve seen players and staff alike bring a positive approach to their work both on and off the pitch, and this was reflected in the improved performances we saw towards the end of the Aviva Premiership campaign.

“We’re delighted that Declan has agreed to take up his post as director of rugby and are looking forward to seeing him put the building blocks in place for sustainable success in the future.”

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Kidney won the Grand Slam with Ireland in 2009 and is a two-time Champions Cup winner with Munster. He is looking forward to his latest challenge, to guide London Irish back to the top flight at the first time of asking.

“We are excited about the future. A number of players have moved on for one reason or another, but we are very enthusiastic about the commitment that has been shown by a talented young breed of players to London Irish.

“We have an academy with a proven track record of bringing through talented young individuals, some good new signings, and senior players who have shown the willingness to help us develop a sustainable squad. If we all work hard the future can be bright for us and we can achieve all our goals.

“We are building a squad that is not just good enough to gain promotion from an extremely challenging and competitive Championship, but who can then use the lessons from this season should we get back to the Premiership in 2019.

“The potential move back into London is also an incredibly exciting prospect and I know that Mick Crossan, Brian Facer and the rest of the board are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to achieve this goal. So, I see no reason not to be a part of what could be a fantastic journey ahead for all involved.

“A special word of thanks to all London Irish supporters, who have given myself and Les a very warm welcome to the club over the last few weeks. You have certainly lived up to your reputation and we hope to repay the faith you have all shown in us by working as hard as we can over the coming months and years.”

London Irish have recently confirmed the arrivals of several new players, including Northampton Saints’ experienced fly-half Stephen Myler, World Rugby Under-20 Championship winner Tom Stephenson, United States international centre Bryce Campbell and experienced forwards Matt Rogerson and Barney Maddison.