Solomons Leaving Ulster

English Premiership club Northampton will replace
their New Zealand coach Wayne Smith with Ulster’s Director of Rugby Alan
Solomons at the end of the current season.

Smith is returning to New Zealand to become part of Graham Henry’s
All
Black coaching team with Wales coach Steve Hansen.

Solomons will bring with him forwards coach Adrian Kennedy when
his
three-year spell with Ulster ends at the end of May.

The 54-year-old former defence lawyer from Cape Town arrived in
the
province when Ulster were in the doldrums but in a short space of
time he
turned around their fortunes.

The former Springbok assistant coach guided Ulster to inaugural
Celtic Cup
success in December and they currently lead the Celtic League.

“There has been much speculation concerning Wayne’s future at
the club and
we are now in the position to confirm he will be returning to New
Zealand at
the end of the season,” Northampton operations director John
Steele said

Smith said: “This is a special club with extraordinary fans
and a great
group of players. I will never forget my time here. My accepting this new role
in no way
undervalues how much Saints means to me.

“However, I love the All Blacks. I have been striving to play
for them or
coach them for a large part of my life.
They have asked me to go back and the fact is I cannot
contribute from
here.

“I have a good relationship with Graham Henry and Steve
Hansen. The
prospect of working together for New Zealand rugby excites me.”