By Duncan Mackay

December 16 - The English Institute of Sport (EIS) has lost its national director less than three years before the start of London 2012 following the decision of Conor O'Shea (pictured) to resign to join Guinness Premiership club Harlequins after being headhunted by the London club to be director of rugby to succeed Dean Richards.



The 39-year-old O'Shea, who held the same position at London Irish earlier this decade before working for the Rugby Football Union (RFU), only joined the EIS in July 2008 to oversee preparations for the Olympics and Paralympics.

The EIS, funded through UK Sport. offers a number of services to Britain's elite athletes, including sports medicine, physiotherapy, sports massage, applied physiology, strength and conditioning, nutrition, psychology and performance lifestyle support.

O'Shea, a former rugby union international capped 35 times by Ireland, will take up his new role in March.

He said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the EIS and it is a shame that I will be moving on at such an exciting and challenging time for the organisation and for sport in this country.

"But plain and simply, my passion lies with rugby and my desire to influence at the sharp end of the game has never diminished.

"So when approached by Harlequins, a club with an exciting squad, a committed and talented group of coaches and support staff and a stable business model to underpin long term success, I knew it was a challenge I had to take on."

He replaces Richards, the former England international, who was banned from coaching for three years in August after being found guilty of serial cheating, including being behind Quins wing Tom Williams faking a blood injury to allow a substitution in last season's Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat by Leinster.

The search will now begin to find a replacement for O'Shea at the EIS.

Steve Cram, the former world mile record holder who is now the chairman of the EIS, said: "We wish Conor all the best in his new role at Harlequins.

"He has made a significant impact during his time at the EIS and led the organisation through a significant period of change.

"As a result of his efforts, we now feel we are in the best possible shape to support sports in the lead up to 2012 and beyond.

"A suitable successor is now being sought."

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