Monday 9 April 2018 15:43, UK
Harlequins director of rugby John Kingston will leave the club at the end of the season.
Kingston won an Aviva Premiership title and Challenge Cup while head coach of Quins before succeeding Conor O'Shea as rugby director in April 2016.
However, results have been poor for the Twickenham club this season, losing 12 of their 19 league fixtures and finishing bottom of their Champions Cup pool.
Harlequins were beaten 35-5 at home by bottom club London Irish on Saturday and decided to part ways with Kingston by mutual agreement.
The obstacles this season have been well documented and no-one has been more disappointed by our results than me.
"I have been at Harlequins for 17 years in differing roles and have grown to love the club almost as if it were part of my family," said Kingston.
"I am immensely proud of the significant successes that I have been part of in winning the Aviva Premiership, two European Challenge Cup trophies and the LV= Cup.
"The obstacles this season have been well documented and no-one has been more disappointed by our results than me.
"In my opinion, this is the strongest squad ever assembled in all my time at Harlequins and this leaves the club in a sound position to go forward.
"Nothing would give me more pleasure than to see the squad achieve in the near future what I deeply believe it can - winning trophies."
Harlequins chief executive David Ellis added, ''This season has been hugely frustrating and disappointing for everyone at Harlequins, and for none more so than John.
"With considerable regret, we have agreed that John should step down as director of rugby.
"John has much to be proud of during his time at The Stoop, most notably when, while head coach, the team won the Aviva Premiership, the Amlin Challenge Cup and the LV= Cup, as well as reaching two Heineken Cup quarter-finals.
"On behalf of all at Harlequins, I would like to express our genuine gratitude to John for all he has done during his time at the club.
"The club will not make any comment about the appointment of a new director of rugby until we are ready to do so.
"The process to recruit someone new who can take Harlequins to the very top of English and European rugby is in hand."
