Munster have announced that Canterbury coach Rob Penney will be appointed as their new head coach.
Penney has signed a two-year contract with the province and beat out the likes of Anthony Foley and Tana Umaga to claim the position.
Foley is to continue as forwards coach with Munster.
Penney will take charge of Munster in mid-July, after he leads the New Zealand Under-20 side to the IRB Junior World Championship in South Africa.
The New Zealander has been head coach of Canterbury since 2006, and last season took them to their fourth straight ITM Cup national provincial title.
He also has Super Rugby coaching experience with the Crusaders where he was assistant coach in 2005 when they won the Super 12 title and he has maintained his involvement with the Crusaders as Development Squad Coach.
Munster CEO Garrett Fitzgerald said; "We conducted a thorough search to find a replacement for Tony McGahan and were delighted with the calibre of the candidates.
"Rob Penney's record speaks for itself and we look forward to welcoming him to Munster,” he added.
Canterbury chief Hamish Riach paid tribute to Penney and said: "Rob has been a great servant for Canterbury rugby. We are very sorry to lose a talented coach, but this is a fantastic opportunity for him and we wish him all the best."
