Leinster senior coach Stuart Lancaster will leave the province at the end of the season to join French club Racing 92 as director of rugby.

During his time in Dublin, the 52-year-old has formed an immensely successful coaching partnership with Leo Cullen.

The pair guided Leinster to a European Champions Cup triumph in 2018 and have won four league titles.

"I will be eternally grateful to Leo, Mick Dawson [Leinster CEO] and Guy Easterby [head of rugby operations] and the whole Leinster organisation for the opportunity they gave me and my family back in 2016," Lancaster reflected.

"Initially it was for just one season and here I am entering my seventh and that is a reflection on all the players past and present I have worked with and the people of Leinster and Ireland who have made me and my family feel so welcome."

Lancaster arrived at Leinster after resigning following four years as England boss, a spell that came to an end when the host nation failed to get out of their 2015 World Cup pool.

He was one of a number of members of that England coaching ticket to begin a new and ultimately successful chapter of his career in Ireland, along with current national head coach Andy Farrell and attack coach Mike Catt.

Lancaster's move to Racing will see the Parisian side's current head coach Laurent Travers move upstairs to take up the position of chairman of the club's management board.

"I have always wanted to challenge myself as a coach in different ways and the opportunity to coach in France at a club like Racing 92 is an exciting one and I will look forward to that challenge when it comes," Lancaster continued.

"In the meantime, I really want to give everything to the whole of Leinster Rugby and the supporters in the next eight months as I feel we have more to come as we drive towards the exciting challenge ahead both in the URC and in Europe."