Stuart Lancester set to depart Racing 92 after disappointing start to season

The former England head coach had been linked with a move to Munster earlier in the season but he said those rumours were false.

Stuart Lancester is set to leave Racing 92 with the club third from bottom of the Top 14. Pic: Ramsey Cardy, Sportsfile

Stuart Lancaster is set to depart Racing 92 following a disappointing start to the season for the French side.

Racing are currently languishing 12th in the Top 14, and finished second from bottom of their Champions Cup group, only earning the consolation prize of an away tie in the Challenge Cup knockout stages.

Lancaster left Leinster to become Racing director of rugby ahead of the 2023/24 season, signing on a four-year deal. They finished sixth in the Top 14 last season. 

The former England head coach had been linked with a move to Munster following Graham Rowntree's departure in October. He later said those rumours had no basis in reality.

“I was disappointed by the lies told about me,” said Lancaster, appearing to speaking about Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton's The Rugby Pod. 

“One of them started in England about my departure for Munster, which is totally false. I lost all the respect I had for the people on the podcast who said that.”

IRFU performance director David Humphreys said earlier this week that he hopes an the announcement of Rowntree's successor will be made "within a few weeks".

He also suggested an external appointment, rather than one from within, is likely.

“We believe that getting the coaching team right in all the provinces is absolutely essential to the longer-term success," said Humphreys.

“We know with the squad that Munster have coming through it's making sure that any appointment is in place for a longer term. I absolutely believe in the continuity of the coaching team being one of the fundamentals to delivering longer-term success for the players.

“I don't think it says anything about the person we're looking for, it's more a reflection of how highly Munster and the IRFU regard the coaching team that's in place there. The question is whether or not that group has got all the attributes that's required to take Munster forward or whether in the period going forward, that some additional support is required."