'I'm not going to discuss any individuals': Leinster CEO refuses to rule out Ronan O'Gara succeeding Leo Cullen

NO RUSH: Leinster Rugby chief executive Shane Nolan during a media conference at the newly refurbished Laya Arena in Dublin. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile.

The timing of next year's Rugby World Cup will not influence the selection of Leo Cullen's successor as Leinster's head coach, according to the province's chief executive Shane Nolan.

Leinster have begun the process of finding a replacement for Cullen, who will step down at the end of next season after 12 years in charge, but Nolan insists there is no fixed deadline on an appointment.

"The good thing is Leo's given us over 12 months notice, so that gives us great comfort," Nolan said.

“It's an opportunity now to bring in an excellent head coach for the next phase. We don't have to rush any decision here, we can take our time. We're focussing on getting the absolute best person for the job.” 

Nolan confirmed that the 2027 World Cup will not automatically exclude coaches involved with the tournament, meaning Leinster could appoint someone who is unavailable for the beginning the 2027-28 season. The final will take place on November 13.

“Nobody's ruled out, no,” said the 54-year-old.

Former Leinster attack coach Felipe Contepomi, who will guide Argentina at the finals in Australia, is likely to be on the province's wish-list. Also among the names inevitably linked with the role is Ronan O’Gara, whose success with La Rochelle has made him one of the most sought-after coaching figures in world rugby.

The Corkman would also represent a potentially divisive appointment given his history with Munster, but Nolan says personalities and reputations only came into consideration once Leinster established exactly what they are looking for in their next head coach.

“I'm very clear that before we even talk about individuals, it's best to get the criteria lined down,” he insisted. "We spent over-invested time getting that right before we even talked about individuals.

Leinster Rugby chief executive Shane Nolan before a media conference at the newly refurbished Laya Arena in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

"I'm not going to discuss any individuals, but the real focus was making sure we had full alignment on the criteria, and that drove the process - and that is driving the process from now.”

Leinster spent considerable time defining those criteria, focusing on the skills, expertise, experience and attributes required, with the selection process headed by the province's Chief Operating Officer, Guy Easterby, along with Frank Doherty - the head of Leinster's professional game board - and Nolan, with the trio liaising with IRFU performance director David Humphreys.

“My experience in hiring is if you don't align on that, then you're in danger of not making the best hire possible,” Nolan said.

“Once you do that then you go to your candidates and then you can make a priority list. It becomes more straightforward after that.” Nolan would not confirm how many candidates have applied, but said the response had been "healthy."

He remarked: "We've been incredibly impressed with the calibre of people who have been interested since the news broke. It's a very high calibre of people who are being considered or being talked to or have expressed interest in the role."

As for senior coach Jacques Nienaber's future beyond this season, Nolan described the double World Cup-winning coach as “incredible”, highlighting his impact on the players and the evolution of the team.

However, the CEO said that the immediate focus is solely on appointing the head coach and that discussions over assistants and the wider coaching structure will follow once that person is in place.