DUBLIN (AP) — A year after standing down as Ireland rugby coach, Joe Schmidt has taken up a newly created role in the high-performance department of the sport's world governing body.

The New Zealander will join World Rugby in November and be responsible for “further engaging coaches, players and match officials in the decision-making process,” the organization said on Thursday.

The role also will see Schmidt involved in player welfare, training and education.

“We are delighted to appoint a person of Joe’s calibre, expertise and global credibility to this newly created and strategically important position within the organization,” World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper said.

With World Rugby based in Dublin, Schmidt gets to stay in Ireland where he spent more than nine years -- first in club rugby at Leinster before coaching Ireland from 2013-19. He led Ireland to three Six Nations titles and No. 1 in the rankings.

He was World Rugby’s coach of the year in 2018.

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