Edwards Stays With Wales

Shaun Edwards has rejected the chance to join Martin Johnson's England revolution and signed a three-way contract which will keep him with Wasps and Wales through to the end of the 2011 World Cup.

Johnson, who is expected to be appointed as England's team manager/director of rugby next week, met Edwards this week but they did not get round to talking about potential jobs because the Wasps' head coach had already agreed a contract with Wales as defence coach.

The Welsh Rugby Union chief executive, Roger Lewis, met Edwards in London last night and returned home with a contract which will keep the 41-year old with the Six Nations champions for the next three-and-a-half years.

Wasps will receive more than £60,000 a year as compensation for releasing Edwards on a part-time basis. Edwards says in his column in The Guardian tomorrow that there were two main reasons why he has signed with Wales and turned down Johnson.

"I shook hands on a deal with Warren Gatland [the Wales head coach] at the end of the Six Nations and the key all along was to remain with Wasps and Ian McGeechan and a bunch of guys who are close to family.

"The rules with England have now been changed to stop part-time coaching. So when I met Martin Johnson this week any alteration in course would have been impossible, quite apart from the fact that I have always intended to keep my bargain with Warren. Had England come calling before Wales [at the end of last year] who knows?"

Lewis described Edwards' decision as "hugely important" for Wales, adding: "I said after that dark day in Nantes last September when we were knocked out of the World Cup by Fiji that our job was to achieve sustained success for Wales. The first part of that was to assemble a top team of people. That started with Warren and Shaun and we are delighted to have secured them both on long-term contracts.

"Shaun has, in a very short space of time, gained a unique place in the hearts and minds of the Welsh players and public. I knew he was meeting Martin Johnson, but from the first day our relationship with Shaun has been based on trust, respect and confidence. I am sure that one day Shaun will be involved with England and we will be fully supporting his ambition to be part of the Lions coaching team in South Africa next year."