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Report - Stuart Lancaster has now signed for Racing 92
By Ian Cameron
French media have reported that Stuart Lancaster has signed a contract with Racing 92 and will take over as head coach ahead of the 2023/24 season.
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Lancaster – who still has a season to run on his Leinster contract – has been linked to Paris since the start of the summer but L’Equipe now reports that the deal has been confirmed in writing on Thursday.
Current ‘manager’ – as they refer to the role in France – Laurent Travers will leave at the end of this season and Lancaster will take the reins after a successful stint with Leinster.
The former England head coach had been at the top of billionaire owner Jacky Lorenzetti’s shopping list to replace Travers and they’ve apparently made the Cumbrian an offer he simply could refuse.
The Parisians were remaining tight-lipped as recently as yesterday (Thursday) but confirmed that talks were taking place with the 52-year-old.
“I’m going to be clear, a lot things are written, a lot aren’t true,” said Travers on Thursday. “There have been talks and there are talks, we’re not going to hide it.”
Back in Dublin, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen also refused to meaningfully address the rumours, merely stating that: “So we are in a period of speculation, shall we say, and we can’t comment on other people’s speculation you know what I mean but there has always been things going on in the background.”
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The Englishman will be a heavy loss for Leinster to take, having become a popular figure with the players and with the Leinster faithful since he arrived back in 2016. His arrival coincided with a change in fortunes for the Irish giants, who hadn’t won any silverware for three seasons when he landed in Dublin as a senior coach.
Lancaster has come a long way since England were dumped out of their own Rugby World Cup in the pool stages back in 2015, his stock having risen to the point where he’s become one of the most sought-after coaches in the sport.
