Munster have confirmed that Alan Gaffney will succeed Declan Kidney on June 1st as the province's new director of rugby.

The 55-year-old Australian, who has been assistant to Matt Williams at Leinster for the past two seasons, has agreed to a three-year contract as Munster's head coach.

Gaffney told the Irish Times that ending a five-year working relationship with Williams and severing his ties with the rest of the Leinster management and playing squad was an enormous wrench. But succeeding Kidney was, he said, the biggest challenge of his coaching career.

"I've had a great two years at Leinster, and they've been the best guys I've ever worked with in rugby in terms of administration, management and players. I mean that sincerely. It was very difficult to leave, but it's a great opportunity and a great honour to be asked to coach Munster."

A former player and coach at the famous Randwick club in Sydney, where he is one of only 15 life members in honour of his distinguished service to the club, Gaffney coached the New South Wales Under-21 backs and then the NSW Waratahs' backs as assistant to Williams in the Super 12 for three seasons, before they renewed their partnership two years ago.

"I couldn't have asked for someone better to work with than Matt Williams. It was thanks to him that I first came to Ireland. That's why it was such a hard decision to make, and the same with (manager) Ken Ging, but it was a decision I had to make.

"As I always say to the players, 'never die wondering'. Just go for it, I tell them, and if I hadn't taken this job then I'd be a total hypocrite," he explained.

"Munster have probably been the highest performing team in Europe over the last three or four years," Gaffney also conceded. "It's a very tall mountain, but they're not far from the top of it. It's going to be a challenge and Declan will be a hard act to follow."