Leeds rugby director Stuart Lancaster has been appointed as England’s new head of elite player development.

Lancaster will replace Conor O’Shea who is leaving the Rugby Football Union to join the English Institute of Sport.

The RFU says Lancaster’s role will not affect the offer of the job of National Academy head coach it made to former England boss Brian Ashton.

Talks over Ashton’s future are ongoing after he was replaced in his previous role by Martin Johnson.

An RFU statement read: “Stuart will be directly responsible for all the administration and elite player development processes, which help identify young talent from the age of 13.

“He will also be responsible for the overall management of the Under-18, Under-20, Sevens and England Saxons representative sides.

“Stuart’s appointment does not affect the offer to Brian Ashton as head coach of the National Academy, and these discussions are continuing.”

Lancaster has been in charge at Headingley for the last two seasons and was previously head of the club’s Academy, helping develop England hopefuls like Jordan Crane and Danny Care.

As director of rugby, Lancaster won promotion to the Guinness Premiership in 2007 but could not keep Leeds in the top flight this season.
Lancaster’s final game in charge will be against Wasps on Saturday.

“It has been a very difficult decision for me to leave Leeds Carnegie,” he said.

“I can think of no other role I would have left the club for. However, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“It allows to me to work and coach at the top end of the international game, developing senior and young players alike to play for England.

Leeds hope to have a replacement appointed by July but are angry at the way the RFU went about recruiting Lancaster.

Chief executive Gary Hetherington said: “We are obviously disappointed not only in losing Stuart but also with the RFU’s method of recruitment.

“For a sport’s governing body to target the most senior employee of one of its member clubs, without dialogue with the club, is disappointing to say the least.

“I am not surprised Stuart has attracted interest from others and I have no doubt he will prove to be a shrewd signing for the RFU.”

Leeds Carnegie have released 14 members from their squad after their relegation from the Guinness Premiership was confirmed at the weekend.

The players, including Argentina World Cup flanker Martin Schusterman, will leave Headingley at the end of the current campaign.

But the club have agreed new contracts with two of their current squad.

Leigh Hinton and Jonny Hepworth have both agreed new deals as Leeds look for an immediate return to the top flight.

Hinton, 29, has featured in every Guinness Premiership game for the club this season and was the top points scorer in National Division One last season. He has agreed a new one-year deal with the club.

Hepworth returned to Headingley Carnegie last season having originally come through the academy structure at sister club Leeds Rhinos.

The 25-year-old has missed the last four games with a knee injury but is set to return in the penultimate game of the season at London Irish. He has agreed a new two-year deal.

Director of rugby Stuart Lancaster said: “I am delighted that Leigh and Jonny have agreed new contracts with the club and we are in the process of renewing all the contracts of players we wish to retain for next season.

“Both Leigh and Jonny were important players for us last season and they will be stronger from the experience of having performed at the highest level in the Guinness Premiership this season.”
The players leaving Headingley at the end of the season are Mark Lock, Darren Edwards, Colin Noon, Pablo Bouza, Martin Schusterman, John Holtby, Mike Aspinall, Tom Rock, James Parkes, Andy Rock, Richard Vasey, Tom Whittaker, Max Lewis and Michael Cusack.

Of those Edwards, Noon and Bouza are retiring from rugby.

Lancaster added: “It is obviously an aspect of professional sport that people will move on from time to time. All of these players have given outstanding service to the club.

“The majority of them have been with us for the past two years and joined the club at a difficult time in our history.

“Their dedication and commitment to the club went a long way to rebuilding the team and we will always be grateful for that.

“This gives us the opportunity to free up places for a new players coming through the Academy in addition to bringing some new players into the squad.”

Relegated Premiership side Leeds are set to announce the cross-code signing of former England international Henry Paul, according to BBC Yorkshire.

The 34-year-old is playing for league side Harlequins, but is out of contract at the end of the season in October.

Paul switched codes in 2001 after a successful career in league when he joined Gloucester, making six international appearances.

Leeds have already released 14 players in preparation for next season.

Leeds Carnegie’s relegation from the Guinness Premiership was sealed after defeat by Gloucester at Kingsholm.

Fijian Akapusi Qera flanker crossed for three tries and fly-half Ryan Lamb scored 19 points to keep the Cherry and Whites at the top of the table.

After Lamb converted Qera’s opening try, Leeds hit back with two Alberto di Bernardo penalties.

But Qera set up Olivier Azam just before the half-hour to turn the match decisively for the home side.

Qera drove over from an attacking line-out just seconds after Leeds replacement Vili Ma’asi was sin-binned for illegally holding back Will James.

And he grabbed his third try on 68 minutes, which Lamb converted, while replacement Darren Edwards got a consolation try at the end for Leeds as Gloucester eased off.

Leeds, whose place next year will be taken by Northampton Saints, lasted just a single season in the top flight.

But head coach Stuart Lancaster said they have learned a massive amount from the experience.

“The Premiership is moving on a yearly basis. We’ve learnt a lot of lessons both technically and tactically,” he said.

“You only have to look at Gloucester, with the strength they have in their squad, and it is a big gulf.

“National League One is an extremely tricky league to be in and we will just work hard and try to get out of it.”

Gloucester coach Dean Ryan paid tribute to the Yorkshire side’s fight.

“All we wanted to do was win and get a bonus point. It was difficult and Leeds deserve enormous credit,” he said.

“We had to change tactically at half-time to be more direct otherwise we would not get the bonus point.

“Leeds kept putting the onus back on us to play.”

——————————————————————————–

Gloucester: Walker; Balshaw, Simpson-Daniel, Tindall, Vainikolo; Lamb, Cooper; Dickinson, Azam, Nieto, James, Bortolami (capt), Strokosch, Qera, Delve.
Replacements: Titterrell, Forster, Brown, Buxton, Lawson, Paterson, Morgan.

Leeds: Hinton; Armstrong, Vickerman, Burrell, Holtby; Di Bernardo, Bedford; MacDonald, Parkes, Pala’amo, Bouza, Hooper (capt); Oakley, Clark, Lock.
Replacements: Hopcroft, Ma’asi, Lund, Myall, Edwards, Brooks, Goodridge.

Wasps beat basement side Leeds Carnegie despite a late rally by the visitors from 25-3 down at Adams Park.Scores from Mike Macdonald - which Wasps could not believe was awarded in the corner - and then scrum-half Joe Bedford denied the hosts a bonus point.

Joe Worsley - back from a hamstring injury - and Fraser Waters went over for tries in the first half.

Then Eoin Reddan’s neat inside pass after 47 minutes allowed Josh Lewsey to go through under the posts.