Leinster legend Felipe Contepomi is returning to the province. The former outhalf has been appointed as Leinster’s new Backs Coach, replacing Girvan Dempsey, who is joining Bath.
The former Argentina out half made 116 appearances during a six year spell at Leinster, helping them to the first of their four Heineken Cup titles in 2009.
He has spent last few seasons working with the Argentina national team and the Jaguares Super Rugby side.
Having joined in 2003, Contepomi won a Celtic League title in 2008 and a Heineken Cup title a year later before joining Toulon.
He was nominated for the IRB Player of the Year Award in 2007 and until last season was the record all-time point scorer for the club with 1,225 points.
Internationally he won 87 caps for Argentina and was a key member of the team that finished third in the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Only last year he was inducted in the World Rugby Hall of Fame and has for the last few seasons been working back home in Buenos Aires with the Argentinian Rugby Union as Head Coach of the Argentina XV for 2017/18 and with the Jaguares in Super Rugby.
Ahead of his arrival Contepomi spoke about the decision to come back to Leinster Rugby.
“The UAR gave me the opportunity to develop as a coach in recent years and have now allowed me the opportunity to face this new challenge in Leinster Rugby. I only have words of thanks for the Union.
“I spent much of my playing career at Leinster and now I’ll be back in Dublin to join a great staff and to work with great players. All this is a huge motivation and it will be a great experience to continue growing as a coach.
“I also want to thank the people who worked with me over the last few years and especially, the players I had in Argentina XV, for the commitment they had and their desire to learn, because they gave me the opportunity to become a better coach and person.”
Felipe Contepomi deja Argentina XV para ir a @leinsterrugby como entrenador de backs.https://t.co/ZhNlUwDagb#JugamosTodos pic.twitter.com/Vnzp7AqOPS
— Unión Argentina de Rugby (@unionargentina) June 26, 2018
