Stuart Lancaster

William Stuart Lancaster (born 9 October 1969) is an English rugby union coach and former player who currently works as the head coach of French Top 14 club Racing 92. After managing Leeds Tykes/Carnegie and the England Saxons, Lancaster was appointed as the head coach of the English national team in 2011 until he stepped down in 2015, following the World Cup. He then joined Leinster as a senior coach the following year where he won one European Rugby Champions Cup in 2018 as well as four Pro 14 championships within a staff run by Leo Cullen before leaving for Racing 92 in 2023. Early life and education William Stuart Lancaster was born on in Penrith, Cumberland. He grew up in the village of Culgaith, where he was sent to St. Bees School. He started his rugby playing career at the school playing for the 1st XV. He started in the front row as a hooker, although at the age of 15, he moved to flanker where he played his best rugby. After leaving school in 1988, Lancaster headed to Carnegie College in Leeds to train as a PE Teacher, while continuing his rugby career playing for Wakefield RFC. After qualifying in 1991, he began teaching at Kettlethorpe High School. Playing career In 1991 Lancaster started playing for Headingley RFC. When Headingley merged with Roundhay RUFC, Lancaster joined the newly formed team Leeds RFU, where he would play the remainder of career. In 1998, he took a substantial leave from teaching to become a full-time professional rugby player with Leeds Tykes, of which he became the first Leeds player to play a century of games since the amalgamation of Headingley and Roundhay, and was named captain of newly branded team.