Cumbria-born coach Stuart Lancaster is to take up an appointment with the French club Racing 92 next year.
He will leave Leinster in eight months time after a very successful seven year spell with the Irish club.
Lancaster moved to Leinster in 2016 after four years in charge of England, but he had resigned when the host nation failed to get out of their 2015 World Cup pool.
During his time in Dublin, the 52-year-old Lancaster has guided Leinster to a European Champions Cup triumph in 2018 and four league titles.
He is the first to pay tribute to his coaching partner Leo Cullen for the success the pair have enjoyed in their time together.
After announcing his French move Lancaster said: “I will be eternally grateful to Leo, Mick Dawson [Leinster CEO] and Guy Easterby [head of rugby operations] and the whole Leinster organisation for the opportunity they gave me and my family back in 2016.
“Initially it was for just one season and here I am entering my seventh and that is a reflection on all the players past and present I have worked with and the people of Leinster and Ireland who have made me and my family feel so welcome.
“I have always wanted to challenge myself as a coach in different ways and the opportunity to coach in France at a club like Racing 92 is an exciting one and I will look forward to that challenge when it comes.
“In the meantime, I really want to give everything to the whole of Leinster Rugby and the supporters in the next eight months as I feel we have more to come as we drive towards the exciting challenge ahead both in the URC and in Europe.”
When Lancaster arrives in Paris for next season the current head coach Laurent Travers will move upstairs to take up the position of chairman of the club’s management board.
Lancaster hails from Culgaith near Penrith, and first played rugby at St. Bees School before Penrith Colts.
After making an instant impression at Penrith, Lancaster went to Leeds University to study to become a PE teacher. He went on to play and coach at Headingley.
In previous interviews Lancaster has stressed how grateful he was for the early coaching and encouragement he received at the Penrith.
