Former Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has decided to leave his position at World Rugby at the end of the year in order to spend more time with his family.
World Rugby confirmed the news on Friday morning in a statement, in which they stated that the former Leinster and Ireland coach will continue to be a member of the High Performance Rugby Committee and Laws Review Group.
Schmidt joined World Rugby as the Director of Rugby and High Performance after the Rugby World Cup in 2019, focusing on strengthening relationships with his coaching peers, International Rugby Players and other key stakeholders.
He has also helped contribute to on-field advances to further player welfare outcomes, including the current global law trials, amendments to the breakdown and the Head Contact Process.
World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin was supportive in Schmidt's decision to focus on his family in New Zealand.
“While we are sad to be losing Joe, we fully support his reasons and appreciate the strong contributions that he has made to the organisation and the game over the last year," Gilpin said.
“His passion for the advancement of the game is tremendous and we are delighted that his expertise and experience will remain at the heart of game-related decision-making as a member of the High Performance Rugby Committee.”
With the global pandemic having restricted movement, and with significant opportunity for reflection, Schmidt has decided that he will continue to reside in New Zealand rather than relocate to Ireland in order to ensure the best possible work-life balance for him and his family.
Schmidt was grateful to World Rugby for their support over the past year, and expressed his disappointment to be leaving the organisation.
“World Rugby have a challenging task bringing together a vast array of stakeholders to grow and future proof the game, particularly with the pandemic creating further complications.
"I’d like to thank the World Rugby staff for their support and positivity during the past 12 months. There is a real passion amongst them to help the game be all it can be for everyone involved and I have enjoyed my time as part of the team, working in partnership with unions, regions and competitions.
“We have worked very hard in a number of areas, including player welfare initiatives, remaining agile with fixture changes and match officials, law trials, competitions and the support of emerging nations where the Pacific Islands Super Rugby franchises are a good example of some excellent collaborative work.
“I am disappointed to be leaving World Rugby, but look forward to continuing an association with them through the High Performance Rugby Committee and other key working groups.”
Watch more:
Team of Us. Everyone In.
Vodafone. The main sponsor of the Irish Rugby Team
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
