Rugby-All Blacks lock in coaches until after Lions tour

WELLINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - New Zealand Rugby have moved quickly to sew up two of their key coaches until after the British and Irish Lions tour in 2017 by re-signing All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster and forwards coach Mike Cron. Head coach Steve Hansen had already been granted a contract extension until after the Lions tour. "It's great news for New Zealand Rugby and myself to have these two world-leading coaches sign back on with the All Blacks," Hansen said in a statement. "They have both played a major part in making this team what it is. "They understand the culture and what's required in the test arena to make a team successful, and will be vital in making sure that we continue to grow our game in the years ahead." Cron, whose scrum expertise is considered amongst the best in the world, had been reported to be stepping away from the All Blacks after their successful World Cup campaign. "I'm really enjoying the environment and the next couple of years will be an exciting challenge for the coaching team as we look to identify talent and help develop them into world-class rugby players," Cron said. Hansen's management team have guided the All Blacks to 49 victories in their 54 tests since the former Wales coach took over after the 2011 World Cup. The All Blacks became the first side to win successive World Cups when they beat Australia in the final at Twickenham on Oct. 31. They also became the first team to win the title three times. There would be a shake up next year, however, with Wayne Smith, who joined the team in 2015 to focus on defence, taking a year off from full-time coaching. Smith had been touted by British media as a possible replacement for Stuart Lancaster in the England setup. Performance analyst Alistair Rogers had also taken an assistant coaching role under Tana Umaga at the Auckland Blues. (Reporting by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by Julian Linden)