Bath head coach Tabai Matson to leave club and return to New Zealand for personal reasons

Matson will depart after next Friday's trip to Northampton Saints

Tabai Matson will leave Bath to return to New Zealand after next Friday's match with Northampton Saints (Getty)

Bath head coach Tabai Matson will leave the club after next Friday’s Premiership clash against Northampton Saints in order to take his family back the New Zealand, dealing the club an early blow less than a month into the new season.

The 44-year-old former Fiji international has made the decision to leave the club following the trip to Franklin's Gardens on 15 September, a year after arriving at the Recreation Ground with director of rugby Todd Blackadder, who paid tribute to Matson’s work in pre-season that ultimately produced Sunday’s 27-23 victory over Leicester Tigers in what was Bath’s first win at Welford Road in 14 years.

“This has been an incredibly tough decision for me”, Matson said on Tuesday. “I have enjoyed every minute at Bath Rugby and we have such a great group of players here who I believe will achieve great success.

“Ultimately, I have made the decision that as a family, we need to be at home in New Zealand, and I appreciate the club’s understanding.”

Matson featured for Fiji on two occasions, both at the 1999 Rugby World Cup, and played for Canterbury and their Super Rugby side, the Crusaders, before moving to Europe where he signed for Brive and London Irish.

Matson joined Bath alongside Todd Blackadder last year (Getty)

Since moving into coaching, Matson returned to Canterbury in 2009 before assisting Blackadder with the Crusaders until 2016 when the pair moved to Bath together.

“Tabs has done an exceptional job preparing the team for the new season,” Blackadder said. “I know this has been a tough decision for him, but it is a decision we understand and respect.

“He has made a significant contribution to this Club and as a group we will continue to reap the rewards of his efforts throughout the course of the season. Tabs will leave us in a better place and we wish him all the best for the future.”