LESS THAN A fortnight after the appointment of Les Kiss and Declan Kidney, Nick Kennedy has departed his role as London Irish director of rugby.
The 35-year-old was name-checked by incoming head coach Kiss as a coach he was keen to work with. However, Kennedy has now opted to follow technical director Brendan Venter in parting ways with the struggling Premiership club.
“We believed that (Kennedy) had a promising career in front of him as a coach, which we had hoped that he would fulfil under the guidance of Declan Kidney and Les Kiss. So, we’re disappointed that he has decided to move on,” CEO Mick Crossan said in a statement this afternoon.
Crossan praised Kennedy’s impact on the club after the former second row oversaw last season’s promotion from the Championship, a task which looks likely to be on the agenda for the Kiss-Kidney axis with the Exiles currently 14 points adrift at the foot of the Premiership table.
“I’m proud I helped change the academy from a two star to a five star RFU rating,” says Kennedy, “and to have gone undefeated for a season to win the U18 Premiership Rugby title. I’m proud we won the Championship at the first time of asking, only losing one game all season.”
This afternoon’s club statement says that Kennedy had been asked to work alongside Kiss and technical consultant Kidney, but his resignation has been accepted and he leaves Hazlewood with immediate effect.
