Why is Leo Cullen leaving Leinster?

Nathan Johns· Host0:00

[upbeat music] Hello, and welcome to the Counterruck Rugby Podcast, brought to you by The Irish Times, in partnership with Oak Energy. We had today planned to do a deep dive into how Leinster won their final on Friday, tactics, analysis, data, all that, but then Leo Cullen decided to announce he's stepping down in 12 months time. So, as happens in this industry, the news of the day has taken over. Gerry Thornley was supposed to be on a day off, getting ready to go to Australia later this week, but duty calls, and he's here to discuss the big news that Leinster will have a new head coach roughly this time next year. So, here's Gerry. Uh, Gerry Thornley, hello. You were, uh, you were set for Australia, I believe you were, um, set for a bit of rest and recuperation and, and lo and behold, on the day that Keir Starmer [laughs] leaves as Prime Minister of the UK, Leo Cullen has decided to announce he also will be departing. It's a strange one. He's not actually leaving, he's just announced that he will, he'll, he's announced that he'll be honoring his contract is essentially the news today, correct?

Gerry Thornley· Panelist1:01

Correct.

Nathan Johns· Host1:02

What do we make of this? Um, is this usual to, to be given a 12-month notice period? I mean, Joe Schmidt's long goodbye didn't go very well for Irish Rugby.

Gerry Thornley· Panelist1:10

Well, I think first thing you'd say is he's going out on his own terms, isn't he? Um, he's not been pushed or shunted, um, in any way, shape, or form. He's entirely going of his own free will and his own volition, and he's choosing halfway through a two-year contract, so that gives the IRFU and Leinster a full year to identify and find a, a replacement