Noel McNamara named Leinster head coach succeeding Leo Cullen from July 2027

The appointment

Leinster has confirmed that Noel McNamara will succeed Leo Cullen as head coach when Cullen leaves the role at the end of the 2026/27 season. The announcement on 3 November 2026 came after a report by The Sunday Times. McNamara, a native of County Clare, is currently attack coach at Union Bordeaux-Bègles (UBB) in France, and he will stay with the French club for the rest of 2026/27 before starting at Leinster on 1 July 2027.

McNamara said he was delighted to be returning to the province in the head coach role.

“I am delighted that I am returning to Leinster Rugby as head coach in 2027”

He thanked UBB, and two club officials, for backing the move. He added that his focus remains on the coming season with Bordeaux before he rejoins Leinster next summer.

A familiar face returning

McNamara spent five years at Leinster between 2016 and 2021, first as academy manager and later as Leinster 'A' head coach. RTE reports that he took the Ireland Under-20s to a Grand Slam in 2019 before two years in Durban with the Sharks as attack and backs coach. RTE also credits him with helping UBB win back-to-back European Champions Cup titles. The Irish Times adds that he coached Leinster's under-18 and under-19 sides, a point the columnist counted in his favour. Leinster chief executive Shane Nolan said the club had been close to McNamara for years.

“Noel has a long association with the club and emerged as our preferred candidate very early in the process.”

Why a leftfield pick

Irish Times columnist Gerry Thornley called McNamara a leftfield choice, in keeping with Leinster's habit of picking less obvious head coaches, and pointed to Michael Cheika, Joe Schmidt and Leo Cullen as precedents. Thornley acknowledged that McNamara lacks some of the star appeal and experience of other candidates. Felipe Contepomi, the Argentina head coach and a former outhalf, would have generated plenty of enthusiasm, Thornley wrote, but he could not have started before the 2027 World Cup, sometime in November 2027. Ronan O'Gara, Scott Robertson and Jamie Joseph were also mentioned as options that would have drawn more debate, though none has worked within the Leinster setup. The column argues that this experience counted heavily in McNamara's favour.

Recruitment and timing

Shane Nolan, head of rugby operations Guy Easterby and Frank Doherty, chairman of the Professional Game Board, drove the recruitment, with input and approval from David Humphreys. Leinster had considered asking Cullen to stay until the World Cup ended, a contingency that McNamara's appointment makes unnecessary. IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys said:

“Noel brings a wealth of coaching experience, strong leadership qualities and a proven track record of developing players and coaching successful teams.”

Thornley also pointed to McNamara's age profile and energy, qualities Leinster have sought in three of their last four head coaches.

What comes next

The URC fixture list for next season has not been settled, and Thornley expects some rounds to fall before the World Cup or during it.

Cullen remains in post until the end of 2026/27, and McNamara takes charge on 1 July 2027. The Irish Times notes that Leinster are expected to be key suppliers of players to the Ireland squad, a demand the new coach will inherit. McNamara's immediate focus is the remainder of the season with Bordeaux.