 Hopkins was brought in as director of rugby in September 2006 |
Director of rugby Kevin Hopkins is leaving the Ospreys after rejecting the offer of a new role at the region. His exit follows those of head coach Lyn Jones and fitness coach Huw Bevan, who departed after a review by elite performance director Andrew Hore. Ospreys managing director Roger Blyth said: "We're sorry that Kevin Hopkins feels unable to take on a new role within the organisation. "But we fully understand and respect his reasons for not wanting to do so." Blyth added: "We wish Kevin every success for the future and thank him for all of his hard work on behalf of the entire region." Coach Jones left the region by mutual consent on Friday 16 May and Hopkins' role of director of rugby was made redundant, prompting that offer of a new role.  | 606: DEBATE |
Elite performance director Hore was brought in from New Zealand by the big-spending Ospreys in mid-season before beginning his review of the organisation. "Good sports teams are the ones who make hard decisions and develop from within," said Hore. Hore says that the Ospreys will not be rushed as they seek a successor for Jones this summer. "We need to do our homework, the world is an interesting place and it's not necessarily going to be straightforward," he said. "The coach who meets our criteria is out there, ultimately this may mean an individual who is not widely known by the average supporter. | When I was at the Welsh Rugby Union everyone said that the Ospreys would be the first to fold |
"There are numerous examples around the world of quality coaches operating away from the limelight, there's the Curry Cup, Welsh Premiership, Air NZ Cup, Mazda Trophy, there's a very good second division in England. "The individual may even already be within the organisation as part of our existing coaching team, we can't rule anything out. "Some of these people are just waiting for their opportunity and they could be great coaches, you've just got to find them. "The person that we're looking for has got to be someone who can grow others, he's got to have strong values and attitudes and they really have to buy into the whole culture we're trying to establish." Hore said the Ospreys should be proud of their achievements in the five years since their inception. "Looking back, everyone expected the Ospreys to fail, Swansea and Neath was never meant to work," he said. "When I was at the Welsh Rugby Union everyone said that the Ospreys would be the first to fold."
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