Former England national coach Stuart Lancaster has been appointed head coach of Connacht Rugby, in what is seen as a major coup for the western province.

Lancaster has signed a two-year contract and comes to Galway with a wealth of coaching experience at the highest level of the sport, across all three major European leagues and at international level.

He most recently served as head coach of Racing 92 in France, and before then enjoyed a hugely successful seven-year spell as Senior Coach of Leinster Rugby.

With primary responsibility for the day-to-day coaching of the team, he helped lead Leinster to four consecutive PRO14 titles and four Champions Cup finals, including victory in the 2018 decider.

He made the move to Leinster after four years as Head Coach of the England national team, whom he led for four Six Nations campaigns and the 2015 Rugby World Cup in his native country.

He was appointed to that role after four years as the RFU’s Head of Elite Player Development, where his primary remit was to help young players realise their potential at club and international level.

Lancaster began his coaching career over 20 years ago, as Head of Academy at Leeds RFU. He was then appointed Head Coach of the Leeds Tykes in 2006, leading them to promotion to the English Premiership in his first year in charge. After a further year as Head Coach, he was promoted to the RFU.

As head coach, Lancaster will also have responsibility for defence, thereby completing next season’s coaching team. Joining him will be new attack coach, Rod Seib; scrum and contact coach, Colm Tucker; and lineout and maul coach, John Muldoon.

Commenting on the announcement, Lancaster said he was hugely excited to be joining Connacht Rugby and begin this new chapter of his life in the West of Ireland with his wife, Nina.

“Connacht is a club with a proud identity, a passionate supporter base, and enormous potential both on and off the field, so I’m honoured and humbled to be given the opportunity to lead the professional men’s team programme.

“I’m a firm believer in creating an environment that enables players to thrive and realise their potential, while playing a brand of rugby that inspires the community of which they represent.

“Ever since my initial conversations with Willie, David and the rest of the selection committee, it’s clear that same belief exists here in Connacht, and that’s why I’m so excited by this opportunity.

“There’s also the fantastic new facilities here at the new High-Performance Centre and Dexcom Stadium, which will further enable us to realise those goals.

“I’m looking forward to working closely with all of the staff and players, and I can’t wait to get to know the supporters and wider community over the coming weeks and months.”

Connacht Rugby CEO Willie Ruane said that Lancaster was one of the most respected coaches in world rugby and they were “absolutely thrilled” to appoint someone of his calibre.

“He has a proven track record in developing young talent, building a high-performance environment, and most importantly, delivering success and helping teams realise their ambitions.

“His coaching philosophy and his vision for how the game should be played, perfectly matches our own values and our own ambition.”

After just recently moving into the new High-Performance Centre on College Road in the city, the coming year promised to be among the most historic in the club’s history, with its 140th anniversary coming up in December and the impending completion of the Dexcom Stadium redevelopment, he said.

Lancaster will take up the role in time for the beginning of pre-season training next month, when he will also be formally presented to the Connacht fanbase and to the media.

Pictured: Galway bound: Stuart Lancaster.