Leinster Rugby have confirmed that Noel McNamara will replace Leo Cullen as head coach from next season. The announcement was made on 3 November 2026, with McNamara set to join the Irish province in July 2027 after completing his current campaign as attack coach at Bordeaux Bègles.
Background and Experience
McNamara, 43, previously spent five years at Leinster in various roles, including head coach of Leinster 'A' and academy manager. He moved to the Sharks in South Africa in 2021 as attack and backs coach before joining Bordeaux in 2023. Since his arrival in France, Bordeaux have won consecutive Investec Champions Cups and finished as runners-up in the Top 14 twice. In May 2026, McNamara's Bordeaux side defeated Leinster 41-19 in the Champions Cup final in Bilbao. He also coached Ireland to an Under-20s Six Nations Grand Slam in 2019.
Reaction
McNamara described the role as "one of the most prestigious roles in world rugby" and said it was an honour to be given the responsibility. He emphasized his focus on the remainder of the season with Bordeaux before returning to Leinster next summer. Leinster chief executive Shane Nolan said McNamara emerged as the preferred candidate early in the process and that his transition would be seamless. IRFU performance director David Humphreys highlighted McNamara's deep understanding of Irish rugby, wealth of coaching experience, strong leadership qualities, and proven track record of developing players and coaching successful teams.
Cullen's Legacy
Leo Cullen has been in charge since 2015, leading Leinster to six league titles and the Champions Cup in 2018. However, his side subsequently lost five Champions Cup finals, including four in the past five years. Cullen announced in June 2026 that he would step down at the end of the current campaign.
