Howely is set to remain within the Wales set-up for "at least a full season after the next Rugby World Cup in 2015" © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Warren Gatland | Rob Howley

Teams: Wales

Wales assistant coach Rob Howley has agreed a new contract with the Welsh Rugby Union and will remain a part of the national set-up until at least 2016.

The former Wales scrum-half joined head coach Warren Gatland's backroom staff in 2008 and was part of the set-up that guided Wales to the semi-final of the recent World Cup in New Zealand. Howley is the second member of Gatland's staff to commit his future to the Welsh cause following the re-signing of defence coach Shaun Edwards on a new deal that will take him through until the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed the time I have spent with the national team so far, so I am delighted that work can now continue at least until 2016," said Howley, who was also part of the British & Irish Lions coaching team in South Africa two years ago. "As a coaching team we have achieved a lot of our aims in recent years but there are still a lot of exciting and challenging opportunities ahead.

"We have the right structures and systems in place, a team brimful of young talent alongside some valuable experience and a mouth watering fixture schedule. I am personally ambitious to become the best coach I possibly can be and it is fantastic for me to be able to continue to advance my skills here in Wales with the Welsh team.

"As a coach I understand the importance of continuity and I know the strengths and weaknesses of our players and the youngsters who will be challenging for selection in the near future. I want to spend the next few years focused on Welsh success and I am determined to develop my own repertoire of skills so I can make a valid and worthwhile to rugby in Wales."

Gatland welcomed the news, commenting, "I am delighted that Rob will be working with us through until the next World Cup and will be continuing that work on into 2016. When I asked him to join the coaching team in Wales I knew the level of professionalism and skill he would bring with him and that has proved to be the case.

"He is already an accomplished coach, but I know the experience and opportunities he will have in the years ahead will improve him even more. There is a lot of hard work ahead, but the coaches around me have grown in stature over our time together and the continuity we now look forward to will help us achieve our aims.

"At this level we are often criticised if our performance doesn't meet outside expectations, but the biggest endorsement I can give of Rob is that, after the Lions experience in 2009, a high number of players commented to me that he was the best backs coach they had worked with, which speaks volumes."

The new deal was agreed following close discussion with WRU chief executive Roger Lewis who revealed Howley had agreed to expand his role. "I viewed it as vitally important for us to retain a coach of his stature in an agreement which ensured Wales achieved coaching continuity after the Rugby World Cup in 2015," said Lewis. "Moreover Rob has also agreed to work with Joe Lydon our Head of Rugby to assist in the development of our National Academy age grade teams.

"We know we now have in place, under Warren Gatland, a coaching line up which is the envy of the rugby world and there will be intense pressure from other nations for their services when the opportunity arises. With Warren and his coaching team of Rob, Shaun Edwards, Neil Jenkins and Robin McBryde now in place we can look forward to some exciting and engaging rugby ahead from the national team."

Gatland also confirmed that Ospreys prop Adam Jones will be unavailable for the December 3 meeting with Australia due to a recurrence of the calf injury that ended his World Cup.