Leeds blast RFU over Lancaster exit

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Lancaster, the Leeds Carnegie director of rugby, will leave Headingley at the end of the season to replace Conor O'Shea as the head of elite player development at Twickenham. But while Lancaster departs with the best wishes of a club he has served as player, captain, academy manager and coach for 16 years, Leeds are angry at the RFU's handling of the process.

"We are obviously disappointed not only in losing Stuart but also with the RFU's method of recruitment," said club chief executive Gary Hetherington.

"For a sport's governing body to target the most senior employee of one of its member clubs, without dialogue with the club, is disappointing to say the least."

The RFU deny any wrongdoing and insist the procedure, led by director of elite rugby Rob Andrew, was handled above board and in a professional manner.

Twickenham officials insist the position was advertised after O'Shea indicated he would be leaving for a new post at the English Institute of Sport and that Lancaster applied for it in the standard way.

Leeds do not plan on taking the matter any further and are not chasing compensation but it is another shot across the bows for the RFU, just weeks after they were roundly criticised for their treatment of Brian Ashton.

The RFU admitted they mishandled the appointment of Martin Johnson as England's new team manager, in a process which cast Ashton out on a limb.