Warren Gatland declined All Blacks job possibility due to Chiefs and British and Irish Lions ‘commitment’

Gatland left Wales after guiding them to the Rugby World Cup semi-finals

Warren Gatland leaves Wales after 12 years in charge of the national team (Getty)

Warren Gatland has claimed he did not pursue the possibility of replacing All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen due to his desire to fulfil commitments to the Waikato Chiefs and British and Irish Lions.

Gatland left his post as Wales coach after guiding them to the World Cup semi-finals and was initially on New Zealand’s list of 26 homegrown candidates to succeed Hansen.

But Gatland would not be swayed, instead sticking to his original plan post-Wales to take over at the Chiefs next year.

The four-year deal with the Super Rugby side means the New Zealander still be able to lead the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 2021, taking a year away from the club game.

“It was nice to be contacted (but) I politely declined putting my name forward,” Gatland told New Zealand’s Radio Sport Breakfast podcast.

“I’m a little bit old school... I’d made the commitment to the Chiefs and I’d made the commitment to the Lions.

“It was important that I carry on with that... honour the commitment I made to those two sides.

“Maybe sometime in the future I may get that opportunity again.”