Hansen reportedly offered two-year extension as All Blacks coach beyond World Cup if he wants it

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has offered Steve Hansen a two-year deal should he wish to continue coaching the All Blacks beyond next year’s Rugby World Cup while he vowed not to let the media bully him in the lead-up to the tournament.

Hansen will decide before Christmas whether to continue in the role beyond the Rugby World Cup but NZR have told Hansen there is a two-year extension available to him if he wants it, according to NZME.

He has said previously that he wouldn’t be the All Blacks coach after the 2019 Rugby World Cup after also saying he was sure he’d have moved on after last year’s Lions tour.

There has also been speculation that Hansen would move onto a director of rugby role with NZR with assistant coach Ian Foster taking over as All Blacks coach.

Former Ireland Test player Alan Quinlan said he had heard from former All Blacks Jeff Wilson and Justin Marshall that Hansen would end up in a director of rugby role.

"The talk is that Steve Hansen is going up as a director of rugby and then there will be a possibility of a [vacant head coach] position," Quinlan said on the On The Ball AM show.

Hansen came under fire after the loss to Ireland last month, but told NZME he had learned to trust himself during a tumultuous period where he was in charge of Wales.

"Eventually you become strong enough to know that as long as you're self-checking and group-checking with the people that matter, then what other people externally are saying doesn't count,” he said.

"I won't be bullied by the media and particularly a fraction of the media that that's how they operate. They write their opinion pieces and they're never wrong but they're never right either because their opinions are never tested.”

"You come to understand that and just let it slide through to the keeper and treat it with the disdain it deserves."