AP, New Zealand :
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen will step down after the 2019 Rugby World Cup, ending a 16-year involvement with the world’s top-ranked team.
Hansen, 59, said at a news conference Friday it is important that a new coach takes charge after the World Cup to “bring a new outlook for the team” and “enhance the legacy of the All Blacks.” He said he has no immediate plans other than to spend more time with his family.
After replacing Graham Henry as Wales’ coach in 2002, he left that job in 2004 before serving as an assistant to Henry with the All Blacks, then replaced him again, this time in New Zealand, in 2012.
An assistant during New Zealand’s 2011 World Cup victory – its first in 24 years – Hansen guided the team to a win in the 2015 World Cup in England.
The All Blacks have played 96 test matches under Hansen, winning 85, losing eight and drawing three for an 88.5 winning percentage.
