The global pandemic has forced many to reassess their working lives, and Joe Schmidt has joined that number after announcing he’ll leave his role as World Rugby’s director of rugby and high performance.
The former Leinster boss was appointed to the newly created role in October 2020, less than one year after ending his six-year cycle as head coach of Ireland.
Having lived in Dublin for the better part of a decade, Schmidt made the decision to move his family back to his native New Zealand last year.
The 55-year-old has previously opened up on the struggles of his youngest son, Luke, whose epilepsy symptoms were exacerbated by the coronavirus restrictions in Ireland.
Upon announcing his departure from his role with World Rugby, Schmidt gave thanks to his former colleagues and remarked upon some of the organisation’s successes during his time there.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Kawakawa-born Schmidt won the Six Nations crown on three occasions while at the Ireland helm, guiding the team to a Grand Slam in his penultimate season in 2018.
The tactician was also named World Rugby Coach of the Year in 2018, one of two times he was picked as Philips Sports Manager of the Year, an annual award given to the best Irish coach in any sport.
A PRO12 winner and two-time Heineken Cup champion with Leinster, Schmidt would very likely find himself in demand if he were to return to the coaching circuit.
A statement from World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin read: “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.
“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.”
Despite his considerable success in the northern hemisphere, Schmidt has never held a head coaching role in his native New Zealand.
He previously won the Ranfurly Shield while assistant coach at his first deployment with Bay of Plenty in 2004, followed by three years as No. 2 with the Blues in Auckland.
European teams would also likely desire the Kiwi coach if he became available, though his desire to be closer to family in New Zealand would appear to rule out a return for the time being.
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
