DENIS LEAMY WILL leave his post as Leinster’s contact skills coach and join his native Munster in the role of defence coach ahead of next season, both provinces have confirmed.

Leamy, who won two Heineken Cups with Munster as a plyer, joins attack coach Mike Prendergast and forwards coach Andi Kyriacou on Graham Rowntree’s new-look ticket for 2022/23 and beyond.

The Cashel man joined Leinster three years ago, initially as an elite player development officer (EDPO) before moving into the role of contact skills coach at the start of this season.

“It’s been a very enjoyable few years with Leinster Rugby 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,” Leamy said.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with players down in the Centre of Excellence and then up in UCD and 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 [Cullen] and the rest of the coaching and backroom staff and this season in particular will live long in the memory.

“Finally, I’d like to thank the players, in particular, for a brilliant three years at Leinster.

The opportunity to continue my coaching career and to join Munster Rugby 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 and the rest of the team there in due course.

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen said of Leamy’s departure: “Everyone at Leinster Rugby 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’re 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.

Following his first-team debut in September 2001, Leamy made 144 appearances for Munster and played in both the 2006 and 2008 Heineken Cup finals, scoring a crucial try in the latter. He was capped 57 times by Ireland, played in two World Cups, was twice a Triple Crown winner and was a member of Declan Kidney’s 2009 Grand Slam-winning side.

Following his retirement due to a hip injury in 2012, Leamy cut his coaching teeth at his alma mater, Rockwell College, as well as with Garryowen in the AIL and with Munster’s underage teams.

He also assumed the role of head coach of his boyhood club, Cashel RFC, and was part Michael Ryan’s backroom team for his native Tipperary’s All-Ireland hurling success in 2016.

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