New appointment agrees to lead Connacht rugby team: Stuart Lancaster officially named as Connacht head coach.
Get Ready for the West's Wild Ride: Lancaster Roars into Connacht!
After a whirlwind rollercoaster of a career, former England and Leinster senior coach Stuart Lancaster is steering his coaching wheels towards the Wild West – Connacht Rugby!
Lancaster, who parted ways with Racing 92 back in February as the French club struggled both domestically and on the European stage, has inked a two-year deal to take charge at Connacht. The 55-year-old coaches' seat was left vacant after Pete Wilkins departed in April. Lancaster will also be overseeing the defense, with Rod Seib joining as the new attack coach.
The move to the West of Ireland represents a major coup for Connacht, who wrapped up their 2020/2021 United Rugby Championship campaign in 13th place following a highly inconsistent season. However, a final-day victory over Zebre ended a five-game losing streak and ensured they finished above Ulster in the rankings. Though they were ousted in the quarter-final stage of the Challenge Cup, they nearly pulled off an upset against Racing 92, who played a man down for 67 minutes due to a red card to right wing try-scorer Wame Naituvi.
Lancaster is no stranger to success, leading the Leinster province to four successive Pro14 titles and the 2018 Champions Cup during his seven seasons in Dublin. Prior to his Leinster tenure, Lancaster spent four years as the head coach of England. Despite a series of four Six Nations Championship runners-up finishes under his stewardship, the team failed to qualify from their 2015 Rugby World Cup pool. In early 2023, Lancaster agreed to become head coach of Racing 92 for the 2023/24 season, but his stay in Paris was short-lived; the club failed to advance beyond the knockout stages of the Investec Champions Cup and struggled domestically, ultimately parting ways with the coach in June 2025.
Upon joining Connacht, Lancaster expressed his excitement in a statement: "I can't wait to be part of the Connacht Rugby family and start this new adventure in the West of Ireland with my wife Nina. Connacht is a club with deep roots, a diehard fanbase, and immense potential, so I'm beyond thrilled to be chosen to lead the men's professional team program."
Lancaster is renowned for building a nurturing environment that fosters players' growth while playing a brand of rugby that inspires and excites fans. As the future unfolds, there's no doubt that Lancaster's storied coaching career continues to turn heads in the rugby world.
[1] - https://www.irishrugby.ie/news/254698.php[2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Lancaster[3] - https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/56449906[4] - https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/56528563[5] - https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/57382500
- "Stuart Lancaster, who has a rich history with European-leagues, especially the Premier League, will bring his expertise to the West, as he joins Connacht Rugby in the United Rugby Championship."
- "As a former coach for Premier League teams like Leinster and England, Lancaster's football-like approach to sports coaching is set to invigorate football-style tactics in Connacht Rugby."
