Diccon Edwards quits Leeds Carnegie

Edwards, who had one year to run on his contract, led his team to the semi finals of the RFU Championship last season, beating eventual Champions Newcastle Falcons in the first leg before missing out on a place in the final by just four points on aggregate.

Edwards joined Leeds from the RFU in 2011 having previously played with Leeds and coached at the club as academy manager. He was also part of the RFU Championship XV coaching team last season for the one off game against the New Zealand Maoris.

Commenting on the decision to leave the club, Edwards, 40, said, “I wish the club all the best for the future. I am proud of the fact that the club is now in a stronger position than when I arrived two seasons ago and I am sure the players will continue to build on the progress we have made.”

Leeds Carnegie chairman Sir Ian McGeechan said: “On behalf of everyone at the club, I would like to thank Diccon for his effort and commitment to the club over the past two seasons. As a former player and Academy Manager, he is someone who has played an integral part in laying the foundations for our club. He leaves with our best wishes and gratitude.”

Chief executive Gary Hetherington added: “There are no immediate plans to appoint Diccon’s successor and we will take our time to make sure we make the right appointment to take us forward. The players reported back for pre-season training this week and the majority of their time in the next few weeks will be with the conditioning staff so there is no pressure to rush into an appointment. In the meantime, Director of Rugby Chris Gibson will oversee the rugby department working alongside the existing coaching staff.”