'We're sorry to lose him': Leamy quits Leinster for Munster

Leinster have confirmed the departure of Denis Leamy, their contact skills coach, who is off to join his native province Munster as their new defence coach. He initially went to Dublin in 2019 as an elite player development officer and was appointed to his current role in 2021.

Head coach Leo Cullen said: "Everyone at Leinster has really enjoyed having Denis in blue as we know it was a big move for him when he first joined as elite player development officer in 2019.

"Since then, he has gone on to work with the senior squad as contact skills coach and he has added hugely to the group from his many experiences in the game. We are sorry to lose him but we all fully understand his decision to move back closer to family and the opportunity to progress his coaching career. We wish Denis and his family the very best for the future."

Leamy, the ex-Ireland back-rower who won two Heineken Cup as a Munster player added: "It’s been a very enjoyable few years with Leinster and I’d like to thank the club for the opportunity to join, first as an EPDO and over the last while as a contact skills coach.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with players down in the centre of excellence and then up in UCD, trying to add to the environment and to the development of the players as best I can. I feel I have developed myself as a coach working with Leo and the rest of the coaching and backroom staff and this season in particular will live long in the memory.

"I’d like to thank the players, in particular, for a brilliant three years at Leinster. The opportunity to join Munster and be closer to home is an opportunity that I feel I have to take to grow as a coach and for family reasons and I look forward to working with Graham (Rowntree) and the rest of the team there in due course."

The appointment of Leamy at Munster sees Rowntree’s new coaching ticket take further shape for next season with the already confirmed Mike Prendergast and Andi Kyriacou on board as the respective attack and forwards coaches.