Joe Schmidt not in contention for All Blacks job
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Former Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt won't be in the running to succeed Steve Hansen as All Blacks' head coach, New Zealand Rugby chairman Brent Impey revealed today.
Schmidt is now officially off-contract following the conclusion of the Rugby World Cup following a long and successful stint with Ireland that saw him win Six Nations and Grand Slam glory, achieve the world's number one ranking as well as beat the All Blacks twice.
With New Zealand Rugby now in the process of finding Hansen's replacement - and 26 coaches approached to apply for the role - Impey made it clear that Schmidt's position had not changed nearly a year on from his announcement.
A panel has been selected to appoint the next All Blacks coach https://t.co/bS1zNbVO6A
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"Joe has made his position very clear," Impey told media.
"We've kept in close contact with Joe. His plan for family reasons is to step away from coaching.
"He's returning to New Zealand to live at some point in the future. We see him as very valuable, but in the interim, Joe's made his position very clear."
