Kingston to leave Harlequins with process to find replacement ‘in hand’

Harlequins have announced John Kingston’s departure by mutual agreement, but say the process to recruit a new director of rugby is “in hand”.

Kingston will leave the Aviva Premiership club at the end of this season. He was promoted from head coach to rugby director two years ago, succeedingconoro’shea,who had left to take charge of the Italy national team.

Quins are currently ninth in the Premiership and were beaten 35-5 at home by bottom club London Irish on Saturday.

They have won just seven out of 19 league games this season, in addition to making a poolstage exit from the European Champions Cup, finishing last in a group that also included Wasps, Ulster and La Rochelle.

Quins chief executive Dave Ellis said in a club statement: “This season has been hugely frustrating and disappointing for everyone at Harlequins, and for none more so than John. With considerable regret, we have agreed that John should step down as director of rugby.

“John has much to be proud of during his time at The Stoop, most notably when, while head coach, the team won the Aviva Premiership, the Amlin Challenge Cup and the LV= Cup, as well as reaching two Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

“The club will not make any comment about the appointment of a new director of rugby until we are ready to do so.

“The process to recruit someone new who can take Harlequins to the very top of English and European rugby is in hand.”

Kingston added: “It is with a very heavy heart that I will be leaving Harlequins at the end of this season. “I have been at Harlequins for 17 years in differing roles and have grown to love the club almost as if it were part of my family.

“The obstacles this season have been well-documented, and no one has been more disappointed by our results than me.

“In my opinion, this is the strongest squad ever assembled in all my time at Harlequins, and this leaves the club in a sound position to go forward.” Kiki Bertens dropped only three games as she cruised to her first Premierlevel trophy at the Volvo Car Open.

It was the second match of the day for the 26-yearold having seen off Madison Keys in a marathon two-hour 45-minute semifinal match 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/5) hours earlier.

Fellow finalist Julia Goerges made lighter work of her semi-final beating Anastasija Sevastova 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 with that match also taking place on Sunday after rain washed out the previous day’s play in Charleston.

Bertens, world No 27, tied up the first set in 32 minutes after breaking her German opponent’s first two service games before a third break to make it 6-2.

The second set continued where the first left off, Bertens breaking Goerges’s first two service games as she raced to a 5-0 lead.

The sixth game saw Goerges save two match points – and the bagel – before the 26-year-old served out the final game to love for a 6-2, 6-1 win.

Garbine Muguruza came back from a set down against Timea Babos to win the Monterrey Open 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

The tournament’s top seed took a while to get into her rhythm – her first service game lasted 15 points where she was forced to save two break points - and she dropped her third service game.

The Hungarian, ranked 44th in the world, capitalised and took the first set in 48 minutes.

Muguruza lost her first service game to love in the second, but broke back for 2-2 and then took the set with another break at 5-4.

In the deciding set, the world number three broke her opponent for a 4-2 lead and served out the match .

0 Kiki Bertens: Champion.