Rugby: Skills coach off to Japan

All Blacks and NZRU specialist skills coach Mick Byrne is to leave New Zealand rugby to take up a new role as forwards coach for the Japanese rugby team.

Byrne has worked with the country's top rugby players since 2005 improving the kicking, catching and other specialist skills of the All Blacks and other players.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with New Zealand rugby players and coaches. But it has also been a goal of mine to develop my coaching career and I have been given a fantastic opportunity to do that with Japan so I am really excited," Byrne said.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry today paid tribute to Byrne.

"Mick is a world-class skills coach and has done an outstanding job for the All Blacks and other top players. He has certainly developed the skills of our players in many different aspects of the game."

Byrne is already a well-travelled man, even before this latest move.

He was the Wallabies' kicking and catching coach when they won the Rugby World Cup in 1999 and held the same role with the ACT Brumbies from 1998-2001.

He worked as a consultant to the Springboks in 2001-2002 prior to taking up a job as kicking coach with Scotland in 2002.