Leicester turn to Geoff Parling as head coach after hunt for Cheika’s successor | Leicester

Geoff Parling has been appointed as Leicester’s new head coach, bringing an end to a drawn out recruitment process to find Michael Cheika’s successor. Parling is currently employed as the Australia assistant coach but will return to Welford Road after this summer’s British & Irish Lions tour.

The former second-row Parling, 41, spent six years at Leicester and will be a popular appointment among the Tigers faithful. Paul Gustard, Graham Rowntree, Leon MacDonald and Stuart Lancaster were heavily linked with the role but Leicester finally landed on Parling, who has agreed a long-term contract.

He joined Australia’s coaching staff in 2020 under Davie Rennie – after ­cutting his teeth with Melbourne Rebels – and though he was cast aside by Eddie Jones, he returned to the fold in 2024 after Joe Schmidt took over, developing into one of the New Zealander’s key lieutenants. Parling played for the British & Irish Lions on the victorious 2013 tour of Australia, appearing in all three Tests, but will be plotting their downfall this summer before returning to the East Midlands to take up his first head coach position.

Though Leicester are well set for the Premiership playoffs, currently sitting in second place in the table, Cheika will leave at the end of the season after the club announced in January he would not be extending his one-year deal. The search for a successor has been protracted with Gustard initially emerging as the preferred candidate before his anticipated appointment fell through, while MacDonald also held talks with the Tigers hierarchy.

Cheika is Leicester’s seventh head coach since Richard Cockerill’s long-term tenure came to an end in 2017. Steve Borthwick delivered ­success with a Premiership title in 2022 before he and his coaching staff were recruited by the Rugby ­Football Union. The Tigers will be hoping in Parling they have a young coach with a growing reputation who can bring stability to the club.

“I was lucky enough to have some incredible moments in the Leicester Tigers jersey, made through hard work by good people, and so I am extremely proud to be coming back to lead the club,” said Parling.

“There are not many opportunities that would make myself and my family think about leaving Australia, the place we’ve called home for the past seven years, but coming back to Leicester Tigers is one that we are really looking forward to. I know the club is looking for stability, and I will be focused on building an environment with strong foundations, where people can see both what is needed and what it means to be a Tiger.”

Leinster, meanwhile, have ­confirmed Caelan Doris will be ­sidelined for four to six months after undergoing shoulder surgery. The Leinster and Ireland captain sustained the injury during his side’s Champions Cup semi-final defeat by Northampton and was ruled out of contention for the British & Irish Lions squad as a result.

Having started 43 and appeared in 44 of Ireland’s 45 matches since the last Lions tour, Doris had been considered a strong candidate for the captaincy before injury struck. Last week, Andy Farrell unveiled Maro Itoje as his captain in a squad that includes 12 of Doris’s Leinster teammates.