Steve Hansen has been appointed the new coach of the World Cup-winning New Zealand rugby team.
Hansen, who had been All Blacks assistant coach for the last eight years, succeeds his long-term superior and friend Graham Henry as the Kiwis look to move on from their home success in October.
Ex-forwards coach Hansen was widely tipped to be the man to take up Henry’s mantle, and has now signed a two-year deal with the Tri Nations outfit. The former policeman will have just one assistant coach, rather than the three-pronged approach of the past, with a panel of specialist coaches to make up his backroom team.
“I have huge pride in New Zealand rugby and I’m passionate about the All Blacks and New Zealand,” an excited Hansen said on Friday.
“I feel humbled and proud to be given the opportunity to lead the team into its next phase. My aim will be to leave the team in a better shape than how I found it and to enhance its legacy,
"From a coaching point of view in this sport it's the greatest honour you can receive. It comes with a huge amount of responsibility.
"You look at the Rugby World Cup history and teams have struggled slightly afterwards, but that makes the challenge even more exciting.
"We've got to put a full stop on what we've achieved, and it's a magnificent thing what we have achieved, but this is a new team, a new group of people and we have to make our own history."