Rugby: Rare vacancy after Byrne leaves ABs' ranks

All Blacks skills coach Mick Byrne has opted to leave his post. Photo / Nick Reed

Situation vacant: Skills coach for the All Blacks.

A rare chance to work with the repeat World Cup champions has emerged after long-term staff member Mick Byrne decided to return to Australia to be closer to his extended family.

"Mick the Kick" as he was known, has spent 11 seasons working with the All Blacks across a range of specialist tuition but especially the kicking skills he learned during his playing career as an AFL full-forward.

Byrne has been appointed to a new nationwide job in Australia guiding school-leavers in employment choices and education about careers in rugby, league, football, netball, basketball and softball.

His boss will be former Wallaby, Brumbies and Fox Sports rugby analyst Rod Kafer who is in charge of the new initiative.

Byrne went to three World Cups and was instrumental in improving the All Blacks work under the high ball and developing their counter-attacking threats from deep. He described his tenure as a "great ride".

"I haven't know many more lower feelings in my sporting life than Cardiff in 2007. Then you go to some great highs like this year and 2011," he told Newstalk ZB yesterday. "And in between it was just a great ride.

"People come into the environment in 2015 and say 'this is what the All Blacks do' but they don't realise it's been 10 years in the making. They don't realise how much heartache and inspiration has gone into getting it there.

"People can walk into the All Blacks and try and replicate things but what's working today will be moved on next year and it's the drivers of those programmes that makes it work. I'm reminded of people saying to (Michael) Schumacher once saying he wins because he has the best car. And he said, 'well, you get in the car and drive it then and see how you go'. It's the drivers that make it work.

"It wasn't an easy decision to make (to leave) and certainly if I was living in New Zealand I would have signed up till the end. But it's like all families. Just because you leave it doesn't end. I'm certainly looking forward to retaining those friendships.

"Long may the All Black machine roll on."