Rugby: Greg Cooper leaves Stade Francais to be with ill daughter

Greg Cooper will return to New Zealand to be with his ill daughter. Photo / Getty

Stade Francais head coach Greg Cooper will leave the rugby club later this month to be with his ill daughter in New Zealand.

The former All Black was contracted until June 2019, but has left the Paris based club by mutual agreement to return home to his family.

Cooper will return home after Stade Francais' match against Pau on January 27.

Cooper's youngest daughter was in hospital last December.

French website, Rugbyrama, reported that he'd found it too difficult to be away from his family and wanted to be by his daughter's bedside.

"My daughter's health is not good," he told Rugbyrama.

"She was hospitalised for a few weeks in New Zealand and I can't handle this situation 20,000 kilometres away."

"I didn't want these personal concerns to interfere with my job as a coach."

Greg Cooper was the assistant coach for the Blues. Photo / Getty

"After the match against Pau I will go back to New Zealand to take care of my child," he said.

Cooper's wife had been travelling back and forth between Paris and New Zealand but has remained in Dunedin since October.

Cooper has worked as a coach in France since July 2016, but said it was time to return home after the situation became difficult.

"The health of my little girl is precarious for a long time," he said.

"She was not good when I was training in Japan. But there, the season was not so long, the jet lag less important."

"I could talk with my daughter almost continuously, and when she really needed to see me, I jumped on a plane."

"All of this is more difficult from Europe."

Cooper previously coached the Highlanders and was the assistant coach for the Blues.