Jeremy Davidson has stepped back from his role as head coach at Castres with immediate effect at his own request.
The former Lions, Ireland and Ulster secondrow will take on a different role as “adviser to the President for the club’s sports development,” according to an official communique from the French Top 14 club.
The statement read: “At his request, Jeremy Davidson will occupy a new, more transversal role until the end of the season, that of adviser to the President for the club’s sports development. Xavier Sadourny is therefore taking on the responsibility of head coach a few months early.
“I preferred that Xavier have all the responsibilities from now on so that everything runs more smoothly, and that he can now prepare for the future,” Davidson said. “Xavier knows that he can count on me if needed. I have a special attachment to this club, and I will finish my mission here with total commitment.”
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In his 13th season coaching in France, Davidson was previously an assistant coach to current Saracens boss Mark McCall in Ulster back in 2011, and since then has coached Aurillac in ProD2, Brive and Castres, whom he helped guide to a Champions Cup win over Munster in December.
The 50-year-old, who had been due to move on as Castres coach at the end of the season, recently said he would like to coach in Ireland again.
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