Leon MacDonald leaves Crusaders backline role and signs new two-year deal with Tasman

Leon MacDonald will take on a different coaching role with the Crusaders in 2018, when he steps aside as the Assistant Backs Coach.

It was expected MacDonald would focus solely on his Crusaders job when his Tasman contract expired at the end of this year's Mitre 10 Cup, instead, he has re-signed through to the end of 2019

The Super Rugby champions are looking to employ MacDonald’s services in a resource coach role that will allow him to remain based in Blenheim, and will now begin looking for a new Assistant Backs Coach to join Head Coach Scott Robertson, Assistant Brad Mooar and Assistant Forwards Coach Jason Ryan from next season.  
 

MacDonald says that, while helping the Crusaders to the Super Rugby title this year was probably his most enjoyable and memorable season of coaching yet, he has made the difficult decision to remain in Blenheim for family reasons.
 
“I feel privileged to have been a part of the successful 2017 Crusaders side and I look forward to continuing to add value in 2018 in a different capacity.  Stepping back from the Assistant Backs Coach role was certainly not an easy decision to make, however the family’s preference is to be living back home in Blenheim so that is absolutely where I need to be,” MacDonald said.  “I am grateful to the Crusaders for the amazing opportunity to be a part of their coaching team this year and for allowing me to continue contributing next year from the northern end of the Crusaders region.”
 

Leon MacDonald has a long history with the Crusaders, as a player for eleven years between 1997 and 2008 (with one year playing for the Chiefs in 1998) before helping the team to the Super Rugby title as Assistant Backs Coach this year.  He was Assistant Coach for the Tasman Makos provincial team from 2010 to 2015 and became their Head Coach in 2016, leading them to the Premiership Final against Canterbury.