Tait joins in the race to be Carnegie coach

Leeds Carnegie will officially become Yorkshire Carnegie from today.
Sir Ian McGeehanSir Ian McGeehan
Sir Ian McGeehan

The Greene King IPA Championship club are taking on the county name in an attempt to harness the best of the region’s union resources.

It is also the belief of the club that such a move gives them a greater chance of creating a successful and sustainable Premiership club.

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The move, the brainchild of Sir Ian McGeechan, was first announced back in February and is finally being confirmed after approval was given by the Yorkshire Union and the Rugby Football Union.

Carnegie are yet to appoint a successor to James Lowes, who quit as head coach two weeks ago to take over at ailing Super League club Bradford Bulls.

Alan Tait is the latest name to be linked to the post.

The former Newcastle Falcons head coach is out of work and is understood to have applied.

Tait played for Leeds Rhinos in rugby league’s top flight and was also a British and Irish Lions representative under Carnegie’s executive chairman McGeechan, who is in charge of the appointment.

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Tait represented Scotland at both league and union level and also worked as the union team’s defence coach upon his retirement from playing.

He spent two years as head coach at Kingston Park in 2010.

Current Carnegie forwards coach Tommy McGee is also thought to be in the frame, alongside another former Newcastle coach Peter Russell and ex-Rhinos player Gary Mercer.