London Irish have announced an overhaul to their coaching structure as they prepare to rebuild ahead of imminent relegation back to the Championship.
The Exiles sit bottom of the Aviva Premiership with just two wins all season and are 12 points adrift of safety with only five games to play.
And the club have acted now to try and secure a swift return to the top flight if they do indeed fall through the trap door.
Les Kiss arrives as head coach while Declan Kidney comes in as technical consultant, reuniting a partnership which helped Ireland win the Six Nations with a Grand Slam in 2009.
The pair have signed three-year contracts which are not affected by which league the club is competing in.
Nick Kennedy, George Skivington, Paul Hodgson and Declan Danaher are all set to continue in their roles, but former technical director Brendan Venter has left the club.
The former Exiles centre took his new role in 2016, but was unable to commit to it on a full-time basis.
Vastly experienced coach Kiss worked on the national scene with South Africa before his highly successful spell with Ireland as well as club rugby in his native Australia and guiding Ulster to the Pro12 semi-finals in 2016.
Kidney is a considered a legendary figure among Irish rugby due to his work with the national side as well as Munster. He was named World Rugby Coach of the Year in 2009 and helped Ireland to the 2011 World Cup quarter-finals.
“We’re as ambitious as every other club in the Aviva Premiership, and in order to achieve the objectives we have set for the club we need to make changes in the coaching structure to give us the best chance for success,” said Mick Crossan, London Irish’s president and majority shareholder.
“The current coaches under Brendan Venter, who has occupied a part-time technical director role with the club since summer 2016, have worked very hard to consolidate our position in the Aviva Premiership following promotion last year, but it is fair to say that things haven’t gone to plan.
“Our young coaching team under Nick Kennedy have worked tirelessly and have built a great team spirit, despite the disappointing run of league results that followed the opening day victory over Harlequins at Twickenham in the London Double Header.
“We feel that the time is now right to bring in someone to replace Brendan and to work with the current coaches to give us a new direction.”
Chief executive Brian Facer, added: “Declan and Les have a great working relationship and huge experience of what it takes to be successful in elite rugby.
“Declan is a legend of Irish rugby, and Les’ experience in senior coaching positions with the national squads of South Africa and Ireland, together with his roles at New South Wales and Ulster, will be invaluable in helping London Irish re-establish itself as a force in the Aviva Premiership.”
And Kidney cannot wait to get started.
“I had no hesitation in agreeing to join the team at Hazelwood,” he said.
“London Irish club which has a history of producing quality young players, and there appears to be a group of coaches with plenty of promise, and an off-field management team which is putting everything in place for a bright future.
“I’m under no illusions that this is going to be a challenging job.
“English club rugby is very competitive, and it is going to take several years for us to cement a place at the top end of the Aviva Premiership, but I believe that with the right structures this becomes a realistic ambition for us.
“I’m particularly excited to be working with Les Kiss again. We had a great relationship with the Ireland national team and I know that he is the right person to join me on this journey.”
Kiss added: “It is a big job for us, but one we are relishing.
“There are some good coaches already at Hazelwood, the likes of Nick Kennedy, Declan Danaher, Paul Hodgson and George Skivington, who have all shown their commitment to the club for several years, and we believe that we will be able to help them reach their potential.”
London Irish’s next fixture is the St Patrick’s Party against Gloucester on March 24 at Madejski Stadium.
