Contract extension gives confidence - All Blacks coach Ian Foster

All Blacks head coach Ian Foster feels signing a contract extension with New Zealand Rugby provides him more confidence as they look to build towards the 2023 World Cup.

Foster has been associated with New Zealand since 2012 when he joined them as an assistant coach and took in charge of the side post the 2019 World Cup replacing Steve Hansen.

With his two-year contract with the NZR ending this year, Foster now has signed a two-year contract extension until the showpiece event in 2023 in France.

With the likes of Scott Robertson waiting on the ranks, the New Zealand board has shown full faith on Foster as they believe he is the right choice to help them reclaim the World Cup after a semi-final exit in the 2019 edition.

“It’s great to get the certainty,” said Foster of his extension at this time of such great uncertainty," said Foster.

“But it doesn’t really change a lot in one sense. We’re still making decisions for the future, still putting plans in place.

“But what this does is it gives me confidence I can keep building what we’re building. It’s not just about me either.

"We’ve got a pretty special group of management and coaches and this gives them confidence and security to know they can really stretch their eyes out another couple of years on the horizon and we can really work on this team.

“Also around the work we’re doing with leaders and players, it gives them a sense of stability about the environment. The more stable it is, the more players are open to expressing themselves within it.”