1 Nov 2011

Graham Henry steps down as All Blacks coach

6:13 pm on 1 November 2011

Nine days after coaching the All Blacks to their first World Cup in 24 years, coach Graham Henry has announced he's stepping down.

Henry has coached the side for the past eight years.

He was controversially reappointed controversially after the 2007 World Cup quarter-final loss to France.

At today's announcement in Auckland Henry made special mention of his family, thanking his 95 year old mother Ann and his wife Raewyn for their support over the years.

However, Henry will not be lost to sport with the New Zealand rugby union discussing the possibility of retaining him as a coach mentor for the country's leading coaches.

Henry finishes his All Blacks career as one of the most successful rugby coaches of all time, coaching the side to 88 wins in 103 Tests.

As well as winning the Rugby World Cup, the All Blacks have held the Bledisloe Cup every year since 2003, won the Tri Nations five times and achieved three Grand Slams against the Northern Hemisphere Home Unions.