Former Leeds coach Key to take up reins at Rotherham after Burnell's departure

The 58-year-old replaces Justin Burnell, who was sacked by the Titans on Tuesday after picking up just one win from 13 games.

Key, the long-time Leicester Tigers player and coach, will begin work on building next season’s squad immediately, but will see out the remainder of the campaign in his current capacity as head coach of Leicester Lions in National Two North.

Rotherham are 10th in the second tier, one place and one position above bottom-placed Richmond, but have been spared the threat of relegation to National One because London Welsh went bust, prompting the league to postpone demotion for a season. They host Nottingham tomorrow in their penultimate game of the season.

Key spent two and a half years at Leeds Carnegie from 2008 to early 2011.

He joined as director of rugby alongside head coach Neil Back, and immediately steered Leeds to the second-tier title in his first season.

After helping the Headingley club avoid relegation in his first campaign – for which he was named the Premiership’s rugby director of the year – Key was sacked the following February with the club bottom of the table.