Just about every Irish province on alert as Conor O’Shea announces Harlequins departure

All you CEOs out there, make sure you've topped up on credit and that no-one is on the upstairs phone.

Conor O'Shea has announced, this morning, that he is to leave Harlequins Rugby club at the end of the season. The 45-year-old, who has been at The Stoop since 2009, has been linked with Irish provinces Leinster and Munster in the past as well as the Irish team. In November, following the World Cup, O'Shea ruled himself out of the running to be England's next head coach.

In a statement on the Harlequins website, O'Shea said, "I will have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to contribute to this special Club for over six years come May. I have enjoyed working with everybody at Harlequins, from the players to the staff to the supporters, having said that, the end of this season is the right time for me to move on.   "We have a very talented group of players and coaches who are intent on securing silverware this season and that is my sole focus and where all our efforts are concentrated.  I will say my goodbyes when the season is over."

O'Shea played for Leinster in his formative years before he headed to the Allied Dunbar Premiership to line out for London Irish. He made 35 Test appearances for Ireland but his career was cut short in 2000 after he suffered a bad ankle injury. He remained with The Exiles until 2005 before moving on to oversee the RFU's 14 regional academies across England. He was lured back into management by Quins and won a Premiership title and a Challenge Cup for the clubs. O'Shea's impending departure comes as somewhat of a surprise as the club outlaid big spends on new signings Jamie Roberts and Tim Visser last summer.