NZ 'have kept in touch with Joe Schmidt'

New Zealand have confirmed that Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt is on their longlist as a potential successor to Steve Hansen.

Hansen will leave his role as the All Blacks' head coach after the 2019 World Cup, and New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew says Schmidt is one of a number of people that they are considering as Hansen's successor.

The 51-year-old led Ireland to back-to-back Six Nations title successes in 2014 and 2015, and oversaw Ireland's 40-29 victory over the All Blacks in Chicago in November 2016, which ended the world champions' 18-match winning run.

"You'd have to ask Joe if he wants to apply for the job, but he's obviously a very good coach," Tew said

"We've kept in contact with Joe about the job, like we've kept in touch with [former Scotland coach] Vern Cotter and others. 

"Where do I start and stop? There's [Japan coach] Jamie Joseph, there's [British and Irish Lions' coach] Warren Gatland, there's [Bristol coach] Pat Lam and others and we will consider a number of options. Joe is among those options.

"We'll be having a conversation with our board in the second half of this year about the process that will run. Then we'll make that known to everybody once it's done and dusted."

New Zealand-born Schmidt, who has enjoyed success with Clermont Auvergne, Leinster and Ireland in northern hemisphere rugby, is contracted with the IRFU until after the 2019 World Cup.

Image: Getty Images/ Shaun Botterill

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