Tuesday 16 December 2014 07:40, UK
New Zealand rugby chiefs have put their long-term faith in coach Steve Hansen by reappointing him to the end of 2017 - regardless of results in next year's World Cup.
Hansen has forged an impressive 90 per cent win-rate since 2011 when he took on the head coach role of the All Blacks.
All Black coaches have traditionally lived or died on their World Cup results and New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew said the contract extension was an unprecedented show of faith in Hansen.
"Steve is the first All Blacks coach to be given a contract extension beyond a Rugby World Cup, which demonstrates how much faith... (we) have in him," said Tew.
He added that Hansen's record of 38 wins from 42 Tests made him the best coach in world rugby and the board unanimously backed his reappointment to 2017, when the British and Irish Lions will tour New Zealand.
Tew said retaining Hansen was important to provide continuity after next year's World Cup in England, when a number of veteran players are likely to leave and take up lucrative offers from clubs in Europe and Japan.
Hansen said he was thrilled to stay in the job.
"I asked myself if I still had the hunger and desire to continue in the role, which I do, so the decision to continue became a no-brainer," he said.
The 55-year old was initially appointed for a two-year term in late 2011 after serving as assistant coach under Graham Henry for eight years, including helping the All Blacks to end their 24-year wait for their second World Cup victory in 2011.
That was on home soil, as was New Zealand's first World Cup win in the inaugural event in 1987.
He was granted a two-year extension in April last year, giving him the chance to become the first All Blacks coach to lead the team to World Cup victory outside New Zealand, in England next year.
Hansen, a former policeman who coached Wales to the quarter-finals of the 2003 World Cup, said he had given no thought to whether he wanted to stay on beyond 2017.
