Munster have announced that New Zealander Chris Boyd has joined the province following the departures of head coach Graham Rowntree and Andy Kyriacou (forwards coach) as a performance consultant, although there is no confirmation about a time frame.
It is not the first time that an Irish province has enlisted outside support in that capacity, as former All Blacks World Cup-winning coach Graham Henry joined Leinster in 2016 on a short-term consultancy basis.
The 66-year-old Wellington native Boyd “will support interim head coach Ian Costello and the wider coaching group over the coming months in addition to providing support to the wider aspects of team performance.”
Boyd, who was head coach of the Hurricanes from 2015 to 2018, led the group to a Super Rugby title in 2016, beating the Lions in the final. He then joined the Northampton Saints at the start of the 2018-2019 season and throughout his four-year tenure, oversaw the return of the English club to regular knockout rugby at domestic and European level.
Munster Rugby CEO Ian Flanagan said: “We are thrilled to have someone of Chris’s experience and calibre join us for what will be a very busy period for the club. We have a huge amount of trust and belief in our coaching group who have done an excellent job over the past month and the addition of Chris will supplement the talent we have in this area.”
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Interim head coach Ian Costello said: “We are fortunate to have an outstanding coaching group and support team in Munster. To be able to add someone of Chris’s experience and standing to that group is very exciting.”
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