Leinster confirm McNamara appointment as Cullen successor

Updated / Tuesday, 3 Nov 2026 09:10

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Leinster have confirmed the appointment of Noel McNamara as head coach to succeed Leo Cullen when he departs his role at the conclusion of the 2026/27 season.

McNamara will join Leinster from Union Bourdeaux-Begles where he is currently the club's attack coach helping them to deliver back-to-back European Champions Cup titles.

The Clare native will be returning to the Irish province having previously worked with the club in several roles, including academy manager and Leinster 'A’ head coach during a five-year spell between 2016 and 2021.

He also coached the Ireland Under 20’s to a Grand Slam in 2019 before spending two years in Durban with the Sharks as their attack and backs coach prior to joining Bordeaux.

McNamara will remain in his position with Bordeaux for the remainder of the 2026/27 season before taking up his new role with Leinster on 1 July 2027.

"I am delighted that I am returning to Leinster Rugby as Head Coach in 2027," McNamara said. "This is one of the most prestigious roles in world rugby and it is an honour to be given this responsibility.

"I am very grateful to UBB and in particular Laurent Marti and Yannick Bru for supporting me in availing of this opportunity. We have a very exciting season ahead with UBB and I am fully focussed on that before moving back to Leinster next summer."

McNamara re-joins the province after a hugely successful spell abroad. Upon leaving Leinster, he spent one season in South Africa with the Sharks, leading them to a fifth place finish before being defeated by rivals the Bulls.

He then returned north to link up with Bordeaux, in a hugely successful period in the club's history. In 2024, they made it to their first ever Top 14 final before losing to Toulouse, as they did 12 months later.

In May of 2025, McNamara's side were crowned champions of Europe for the first time as they defeated Northampton Saints 28-20 in Cardiff. They repeated the trick in Bilbao earlier this year, cruising past Leinster 41-19.

The Clare man signed a three year extension with the French club back in May, but has since emerged as the successor to Cullen.

It had been reported that another former assistant to Cullen, Felipe Contepomi, was the front runner for the job but Leinster CEO Shane Nolan said McNamara quickly became their number one choice to succeed Cullen.

"We are delighted to welcome Noel McNamara as the new Head Coach of Leinster Rugby in 2027," he said.

"Noel has a long association with the club and emerged as our preferred candidate very early in the process. His transition into the role will be seamless and we look forward to welcoming him here next July after this season reaches its conclusion."

IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys also added that, "Noel brings a wealth of coaching experience, strong leadership qualities and a proven track record of developing players and coaching successful teams.

"He has a deep understanding of Irish rugby and I’m looking forward to working with him to ensure Leinster’s continued success, while supporting the development of players for the Ireland national team."

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