The appointment of Vern Cotter to the Scotland job is testament to the quality of rugby coaches that have been developed in New Zealand, according to the All Blacks coach Steve Hansen.
The 51-year-old's appointment means New Zealanders are now in charge at three of the four home nations.
Cotter's former assistant at Clermont, Joe Schmidt, was named Ireland coach in April, while the British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland will resume his duties with Wales after the tour of Australia.
"I think we're seeing a pattern. If you're a New Zealander you're going to be an international coach," said Hansen. "What sides aren't we coaching? So that's a huge pat on the back for the New Zealand system."
Cotter, Schmidt and Gatland are not the only New Zealand coaches plying their trade with international sides, with Cotter's former boss at the Canterbury Crusaders, Robbie Deans, in charge of Australia, while Kieran Crowley is in Canada.
Current Auckland Blues coach John Kirwan led both Italy and Japan before he returned home with an eye on one day applying for the All Blacks job, while Hansen and predecessor Graham Henry both coached Wales.
It should not be a surprise that coaches head offshore to further their careers. Coaching jobs are limited in New Zealand with less than 100 potential full-time jobs available as a head or assistant coach. Outside the national team set-up there are only five professional sides, who all play in the southern hemisphere's Super Rugby competition.
The country's vaunted provincial competition, a breeding ground for New Zealand's conveyer belt of talent into Super Rugby, has 26 teams in three divisions but just 14 are, at best, semi-professional.
Hansen added: "Do you have to have coached internationally before you coach the All Blacks? No. I think someone like (current assistant and former Waikato Chiefs coach) Ian Foster will make a great All Blacks coach one day."
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