Philip Browne: IRFU would love Joe Schmidt to stay on

IRFU chief executive Philip Browne accepted yesterday that the future of Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt remains very much up in the air.

Schmidt’s current contract with Ireland runs out at the end of next year’s summer tour, and with a number of clubs in his native New Zealand interested in his services, it remains to be seen if he will lead Ireland into the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Speaking at the Sport Ireland Field Sports Investment Announcement at the National Sports Campus — where it was announced that the IRFU would be allocated a fund of €2.36 million towards grassroots development — Browne stressed that Schmidt’s ultimate decision will be motivated by what is best for his family, rather than any financial implication.