It has been confirmed that Munster Head Coach Johann van Graan will extend his contract with the Irish province for the further two years.
Released via Munster's own official website, van Graan's extension comes off the back of recent playing contracts being sewn up; Joey Carbery's the most notable of these.
NEWS | We are pleased to confirm that Head Coach Johann van Graan has extended his contract for a further two years and will remain with the province until June 2022.
Full details > > https://t.co/AvpDBpdzby#SUAF 🔴 pic.twitter.com/921xc4NEek— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) April 8, 2019
Joining Munster in November 2017, the 39-year-old's strong start to life in Limerick sees the province entering the latter stages of the 2018/19 season still firmly in the reckoning for Champions Cup and Pro 14 honours.
Speaking of this contract renewal, van Graan expressed his gratitude and happiness: "I am very happy and grateful to be in this position, knowing that I can continue to work with this incredible group of people and play my part in shaping Munster’s future."
"Coming to Munster I wanted to become part of the community, and every day I get to experience that sense of belonging with my family and I settling in from the very beginning.
"Moments and scenes such as last Saturday week in Edinburgh with the Munster supporters, players and management make for amazing memories, they can never be taken for granted. This is a special place, a special club to be part of and I look forward to continuing the journey together."
Discussing Munster's decision to renew Johann van Grann's contract, Munster Rugby Acting CEO Philip Quinn expressed his delight.
"We are delighted Johann has committed his future to the province," Quinn stated.
"There was a significant amount of interest from other clubs so it was always going to be a challenge to retain the services of a coach of Johann’s calibre.
"However, Johann is fully committed to Munster Rugby and I believe it is a statement of intent from the province that we have finalised this deal.
"Johann brought with him a wealth of experience and a track record with the Springboks and the Bulls in Super Rugby. He has put his own stamp on this squad over the past 18 months and has enhanced the Munster environment further.
"Working closely with his backroom staff he continues to drive the standards on and off the field, and we look forward to seeing the progress continue over the next three years.”
