Leinster have appointed Simon Broughton as their new academy manager, the province and the IRFU have confirmed.
Since 2019, the New Zealand-born coach has helmed Leinster's Ken Wall Centre of Excellence in Donnybrook and has been an Elite Player Development Officer for the past five years.
Broughton has also coached the province's underage and representative sides, while he also served as an assistant when Clontarf won All-Ireland League titles in 2014 and 2016.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen described the appointment as vital.
"This is a critical appointment for Leinster Rugby and in particular the continuing development of our player pathway model. Simon will add considerably to the body of work already delivered in the past by Noel (McNamara), Peter (Smyth), Girvan (Dempsey) and Collie (McEntee)," he said.
"Simon has a wealth of experience in his own playing capacity and over the last number of years with age grade and development sides but more than that he understands from his work over the last few years the value we place on the player pathway in Leinster Rugby.
"It is a pathway that saw 15 players play for the Leinster Rugby senior team for the first time last season.
"Those players come from our clubs and our schools. They played in the Shane Horgan Cup, in the Bank of Ireland Junior and Senior Schools Cup and had taken their first representative steps at age grade level.
"That pathway is critical to our future success and I am delighted that we have someone in the position that already has a first-hand understanding of its importance to us as a club.
"I look forward to working closely with Simon and I wish him all the very best in his new role."
Broughton added: "I'm excited at the opportunity to work with a great group of people, to support Leo, the senior coaching team and I’m committed to enhancing our Academy players development both individually and collectively as they aspire to contribute to the culture and values of the team."
