Warren Gatland has extended his contract as Wales coach until the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
This is the second extension of the contract between the WRU and the New Zealander who was originally appointed as head coach of Wales in 2007.
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That initial contract covering 2007 until 2011 was extended in 2010 until after the 2015 World Cup.
Today’s further renewal will ensure Gatland will be the first coach to take Wales to three World Cup competitions.
The announcement is being made as Gatland is celebrating his success in receiving a clutch of major accolades about his world class prowess as coach.
On Sunday he was made the BBC Sports Personality Coach of the Year just a week after being named the Wales Sport Awards Coach of the Year while days before that he was named UK Coach of the Year at the Sports Coach UK national Awards.
Gatland will now continue to coach Wales for the next six years working alongside the WRU Performance and Development teams to ensure a robust player succession plan continues to identify and nurture the international stars of the future.
The announcement has been timed to ensure he can focus completely on preparing his squads for the intense international fixture schedule which lies ahead of the 2015 World Cup and the planning through to 2019.
WRU Group Chief Executive, Roger Lewis, declared: “I am pleased and honoured to be able to announce that Warren Gatland will remain head coach of Wales until after the World Cup in 2019.
“He has undoubtedly proved that he has the rugby expertise, the passion and the commitment to prepare and inspire our teams to play with the utmost skill and pride for the jersey.
“We now have a meticulous and professional coaching structure in place which Warren must take credit for creating.
“By signing him for a further four years we have ensured that the systems now in place will continue to develop for the future of the international game in Wales.
“It is so important that we achieve continuity at the highest level which is why we have negotiated our Wales international touring fixture schedule right through until 2019.
Lewis explained that they had considered other options but were happy to continue with Gatland at the helm.
“Of course we considered all the scenarios available, but it became increasingly and abundantly clear that the best option for Wales is Warren Gatland.
“The process which led to this moment began in earnest more than a year ago and it has taken an incredible amount of hard work and negotiation to make sure we got this right for Wales and for Warren.
During the Six Nations tournament Gatland will become the longest serving coach of Wales.
He said: “I am proud and delighted to have been chosen by the Welsh Rugby Union to take charge of Wales teams for the next two World Cup tournaments.
“I have chosen to stay in Wales because of my confidence in the players we have, the coaching structures we have developed and the succession plan of talent we now constantly update.
“I know the other major rugby nations take us seriously as opponents who can play excellent rugby and that inspires me to take this group of players even further.
“There is an incredible amount of hard work ahead but, with the backing of the Welsh Rugby Union, the national squad now has the means to deliver what the Welsh public want.
“We have strong support systems, the international player pathway structure and the WRU National Centre of Excellence is a fantastic facility.
“Our best players now get developed within a totally professional structure and the backroom team we have in place boasts some of the best people around in their areas of expertise.
“I want to personally thank the WRU and the Welsh rugby public for the fantastic support the national squad enjoys and I aim to return the compliment by devoting all my professional energy to the success of our national team in the years ahead.
“I am looking forward to the challenge and I am extremely proud of the honour I have in taking Wales into the next two World Cups.”
“The announcement is being made as Gatland is celebrating his success in receiving a clutch of major accolades about his world class prowess as coach.
On Sunday he was made the BBC Sports Personality Coach of the Year just a week after being named the Wales Sport Awards Coach of the Year while days before that he was named UK Coach of the Year at the Sports Coach UK national Awards.”
So the WRU and Welsh Rugby community in general had so many candidates, as did the BBC (in Rugby at least) and the UK as well?
Hmmm. Can’t really think of any other ultra successful sports coaches in the UK.
Let’s face it, Wales did well to retain the 6N title, but in all honest, there are (currently) only 3 teams that can realistically win the title, with Scotland, and Italy purely making up the numbers, and the Irish for some inexplicable reason, despite always having strong club / provincial sides, just never making the grade at international level with any degree of consistency.
So that leaves everyone with just the B&IL series victory against a p1ss poor Wallaby side that lacked cohesion and ideas, and to be honest the results weren’t exactly overwhelming were they?
The question is, what would Gatland do with a decent SR or RC side?
This is a HUGE endorsement of Warren Gatland’s abilities, I think he is a great coach who has done really well with Wales and then also the Lions. If he sees out his contract that will be 12 years in the post – and 3 World Cups, I know Graham Henry was with the All Blacks for a long time but was it as long as this and how many World Cups did Henry last?
1 @ Scrumdown:
Hello Scrumdown I really think Gatland is a fine coach who has done really well in a system that seems to be quite flawed if you believe what is said about Welsh rugby from various quarters. I think he would do really well in Super rugby and in a way it is a pity that he has signed such a long term contract as I think if he was available there would be no doubt that he should be welcomed with open arms at Super rugby franchises in South Africa.
1 @ Scrumdown:
I get what you are saying about there not being much opposition this year with it being a relatively quite one following the heady sporting year we had last year with Olympics etc, the England cricket team has had mixed success and although England football qualified for World Cup it doesn’t sound like too many folk think they covered themselves in much glory anyway this year so that rules their coach out, and there were two German clubs in the Champions League football final… As far as the 6 Nations goes – Wales won it by playing a superb game in their last match against fellow contenders England, up to that point had not been impressed at all with Wales and thought England had come on in leaps and bounds, so what happened in that last game was a big surprise. Also remember Wales won the 6 Nations under caretaker coach Rob Howley as Gatland was away preparing for the Lions tour, although I guess behind the scenes there would have been a lot of discussion between Howley and Gatland.
@ Bullscot:
I agree 100% that he was probably the most consistent sports coach in the UK.
Was just making a point about the UK’s lack of sporting success in general.
Personally, as a (mostly) non Association Football watcher, I think I would have heaped awards on Sir Alex.
What he has achieved as a manager / head coach / DOF at Man U over the years has been phenomenal.
As for Wales as a country, what other sports do they really excel in?
Their national soccer side hasn’t qualified for a major tounament since before I left primary school, they have no other major sporting codes that they compete in as an individual country, (maybe Rugby League?), their main soccer club sides compete in the Enlish leagues (generally without a great deal of success), and their Rugby Union sides have not exactly covered themselves in glory in their repective competitions in recent years.
So all in all my point was just an observation that he basically won the award for being the biggest fish in the goldfish bowl, even though he’s a “Japanese Grass Carp”. (If you get my drift)
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