JOHANN VAN GRAAN has extended his contract for a further two years and will remain with Munster until June 2022, the province and the IRFU have confirmed.
The South African made the move to Limerick in November 2017 and guided Munster to the semi-finals of both the Pro14 and the Champions Cup during his first six months in charge.
He has repeated that feat during his first full season at the Thomond Park helm, with the southern province due to face Saracens in the Champions Cup last four and still chasing a home semi-final berth in this season’s Pro14 with play-off rugby already guaranteed.
Van Graan, 39, said of his contract extension: “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.”
Munster’s Acting CEO Philip Quinn added: “We are delighted Johann has committed his future to the province. 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.”
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