Wales extend contracts of assistant coaches until after 2019 World Cup

The Welsh Rugby Union has extended the contract of Wales assistant coaches Rob Howley and Robin McBryde until the 2019 World Cup to be held in Japan.

Howley and McBryde along with head coach Warren Gatland and skills specialist Neil Jenkins have been part of three Six Nations victories (2008, 2012, 2013), two Grand Slam triumphs (2008, 2012) and helped Wales reach the semi-final and quarter-final in the last two World Cups since 2007-08 season.

WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips believes the current coaching staff have been instrumenatal for Wales and stressed on the importance to maintain continuity as they target the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

"We sat down with Warren post-Rugby World Cup (2015) and conducted a review of the campaign and the team and looked ahead to the next four-year cycle and the 2019 tournament in Japan," said Phillips.

"We concluded that this is a tight, ambitious coaching team, and one we believe will make us more competitive in 2019.

"We looked at the coaches as a team, and this is a team that works well together. It has trust.

"We have put together a four-year rugby strategy which is in its second year, and having continuity and stability at the helm is part of ensuring that strategy is delivered upon."

Howley, who is the attack coach of the Wales team said he is excited by the prospects and talents available in the country and emphasised on the need to have a proper plan in place to bring the best out of them.

"We have a fantastic group of players in Wales, not just those on tour with us in New Zealand at the moment, but at home with the Under-20s and coming through in the regions, and I am really looking forward to building towards Japan.

"We have a clear focus and strategy in place, and we will continue to work hard to give the players the very best opportunity to achieve their full potential."

Meanwhile forwards specialist McBryde echoed Phillips' sentiment of having a proper roadmap to the 2019 showpiece event in Japan.

"Our current focus is of course, as always, on the next game, but we have a long-term objective and strategy, too.

"I think we all feel we have some unfinished business at the Rugby World Cup, and as Martyn Phillips has identified, a successful trip to Japan is the key over-reaching target for us all."

Earlier, WRU announced the resurrection of Wales A team after 14 years that will be participating in the 2017 Six Nations tournament in order to bridge the gap between international and regional teams.