Schmidt signs contract extension

Having ruled out any imminent possibility of succeeding Declan Kidney at Ireland, Leinster head coach Joe Schmidt signed a one-year contract extension that will see the New Zealander remain with the European champions until the end of the 2013/’14 campaign.

Leinster announced the deal yesterday on the eve of province’s RaboDirect Pro12 derby with Munster.

“I’m lucky to be part of such a positive coaching team and to have the top quality support staff we have,” he said. “The professionalism of the players is a real asset and they constantly challenge themselves and each other to improve, which makes them a great group to coach.”