Friday 26 May 2017 07:31, UK
New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen has revealed he is likely to call time on his coaching career after the next Rugby World Cup in 2019.
Hansen has been in charge of the All Blacks since 2011, and was assistant coach to Graham Henry between 2004 and 2011 before that.
The 58-year-old, who coached Wales between 2002 and 2004, only signed a two-year extension to his current deal in July 2016, tying him down until the 2019 World Cup in Japan, but has said that will most likely be the end point.
"I think, without committing to it 100 per cent, I can't see myself extending beyond the World Cup and there are probably a couple of others [All Blacks management team] who won't either," Hansen said.
"We have talked to the New Zealand Rugby Union about talking to some of the people whose contracts I think they should definitely extend already, and they are doing that.
"Then it comes down to, do they [NZR] want continuity from a head coaching point of view or do they want someone new? That will be up to the appointment panel. There are some good candidates."
In terms of a prospective new coaching ticket, both Ireland's and Wales' Kiwi head coaches have current deals which expire in 2019 in the form of Joe Schmidt and Warren Gatland respectively, with the duo having been heavily linked with the role in the past.
The continuity option would be Hansen's assistant coach Ian Foster, who previously coached the Chiefs in Super Rugby between 2004 and 2011, a requirement to take on the position, before assisting Hansen since 2012.
In-coming Montpellier boss Vern Cotter is another to have been linked to the post after a successful tenure in charge of Scotland, while a number of Super Rugby coaches such as Tana Umaga, Dave Rennie, Chris Boyd and Tony Brown are others who will come into the mix.
Hansen had previously argued the All Blacks head coaching position should be changed mid-way through a World Cup cycle, so as to avoid the pattern of jobs being dependent on results at the tournament, but the opposite would now appear almost certain to happen.
"I guess I am kind of arguing against myself," he added. "But it will be eight years as head coach and eight years as assistant coach - 16 years all up - and throw in another three years or so that I had with Wales.
"There is a lot of scrutiny and I will be forever thankful for the opportunity. But top of the pyramid is my family and it will probably be time to give them more."
