Five-man panel to pick new Wales coach

Former Wales captains David Pickering and Terry Cobner will be involved in the selection process to appoint a new national coach as successor to Steve Hansen.

New Zealander Hansen, who led Wales to the World Cup quarter-finals, will leave his post after this season’s Six Nations Championship.

And the Welsh Rugby Union today named a five-man selection panel, aimed at identifying his replacement.

Pickering, the WRU’s chairman, and WRU director of rugby Cobner will be joined by chief executive David Moffett, general manager Steve Lewis and chairman of the WRU’s game policy committee David Rees.

It is hoped to complete the new appointment before Wales kick off their Six Nations campaign against Scotland on February 14. Llanelli coach Gareth Jenkins is the fans’ clear favourite.

“We will begin our search in earnest for the best man for the job immediately,” said Lewis.

“The ultimate criteria is simple – we want to secure the best man possible to coach the Wales national side.

“The next stage is to officially advertise the job, and then the interview process can begin,” he added.

“We are all, as I’m sure the Welsh public are, eager to bring this process to a conclusion and learn who the next man to coach our country will be. We hope to make that announcement as soon as possible.

“He will be taking charge of the biggest job in our national game, and will be in a position to reap the benefits from the newly-formed regional structure.

“He will have the weight and the expectations of a nation behind him, and the full support of the WRU to take Wales forward as a rugby nation and build on our recent progress.”

Although Wales made their World Cup exit at the last-eight stage against eventual winners England, they won many admirers in defeat, outscoring England 3-1 on tries and also claiming four touchdowns against New Zealand a week earlier.