Auckland welcomes prodigal coach

Four years after he abandoned Auckland rugby, Graham Henry is returning to the blue and white hoops.

Henry canvassed the reconnection last month when he made a recuperative visit to New Zealand after quitting as Wales coach with 20 months of his multi-million dollar contract to run.

Henry said then that his "gut feeling" was that he would stay in coaching and "probably in New Zealand".

That wishlist happened yesterday when it was announced Henry had been contracted for 18 months from June as the ARU's resource manager, working in schools, establishing skills programmes, scouting rugby talent and providing analytical and technical support for the NPC team.

During his visit last month, Henry contacted ARU chief David White to say he wanted to return home once his wife Raewyn had finished coaching the Welsh netball side at the Commonwealth Games.

NPC coach Wayne Pivac met Henry and the pair shook on a deal which was ratified by the ARU board this week.

It will bring a reversal of roles for Pivac, who has coached the Auckland NPC side for the past three years and has two seasons left on his contract.

Henry encouraged Pivac to leave his Northland coaching role in 1998 to join him at Auckland. But they never worked together because Henry left for Wales after the Blues just failed to win their third consecutive Super 12 final.