Leicester Tigers appoint Pat Howard as mentor to coaching team

Leicester Tigers have confirmed the appointment of former Australian international Pat Howard as a mentor to the coaching team.

The 45-year-old has already worked as a coach with the Tigers between 2005 and 2007 and guided them to Premiership and Anglo-Welsh Cup triumph in 2007 and also had a playing career with the Welford Road unit between 1998 and 2001 during which he enjoyed a Champions Cup triumph.

He will work alongside head of elite performance recruitment Jan McGinity and head of performance pathway and talent identification Ged Glynn.

Howard worked as high-performance manager of Cricket Australia and following his exit from the role in November last year, he joined the Tigers at the end of the last season in a support role.

“Ged has already overseen the restructure of the academy and we are witnessing the results of that project’s success in back-to-back titles in the National Under-18 League as well as international recognition for a large number of our young players and the impressive progress of a group of graduates through to development and senior squads," he said in a statement released by the club.

“The club invests a large amount of time and resource into the academy and we view its success as an essential part of the Leicester Tigers.

"Identifying the best possible talent to join the system and providing development opportunities through it are key parts of that work.”

The news on the appointment comes a day after the Premiership club had announced being put on sale for about £60m.