Gatland new coach of Wales

[GaillimhIarthair]

Warren Gatland has been appointed the new coach of Wales, his New Zealand province Waikato said.


The Welsh Rugby Union were due to hold a press conference later today to announce their new coach but Waikato, where Gatland has been coaching for the past three seasons, broke the news early when they announced he was leaving New Zealand.


'The Wales coaching job was an opportunity too good to turn down for Warren who had aspirations to continue as an international coach,' Waikato Rugby Union chief executive Graham Bowen told the New Zealand Press Association.


'The Waikato Rugby Union fully supports Warren in his decision to coach at international level again.'


Gatland, 44, who coached Ireland from 1998 to 2001, said he was thrilled by the appointment.


'I've been given the opportunity to coach at the highest level,' he said.


'While it was a hard decision to make to leave Waikato it is the ultimate dream for me to coach at this level again.'


Gatland played 17 tour games for New Zealand between 1988 and 1991 but never played a test for the All Blacks.

The Wales coaching job became available in September when Gareth Jenkins was sacked after his team were knocked out of the World Cup by Fiji.

[Tankie]

Gatland is a good man for the job.

[Dinny Breen]

Fantastic appointment for Wales, wouldn't ne surprised if his first appointment is Shaun Edwards as assistant coach.

[ildanach]

Good Luck to him, hope he gets a better deal than he did with Ireland.

very true, he got shafted by the irfu big time