FINALLY, some good news for Australian rugby.

The ARU has secured a coup with the signing of former All Blacks skills coach Mick ‘The Kick’ Byrne.

Byrne will work as Australia’s national skills coach through until the end of the next Rugby World Cup in 2019.

He returns to Australian rugby having begun his national coaching career with the Wallabies from 1998-2000 as kicking coach, before then joining other national programs in Scotland, South Africa, and New Zealand, where he was part of three Rugby World Cup campaigns.

In his new role, Byrne will have a wider focus on all technical skill components of the game, including and not limited to kicking, lineouts, kick receipts, passing and collision.

It is a timely boost for Australian rugby, which is reeling after having no teams qualify for the Super Rugby semi-finals and the Wallabies being swept 3-0 by England in June.

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Mick Byrne during the launch of Rod Kafer’s Sportstek Academies at Sydney Academy of Sport. Source: News Corp Australia

“Mick’s appointment is part of the ARU’s strategic plan to engage the best staff with expert capabilities to develop key areas across all levels of the sport,” said Ben Whitaker, the ARU’s general manager of high performance.

“As national skills coach, Mick will be working closely with the Wallabies program and across our Super Rugby teams as well as having an active involvement in developing skills across age grade teams, sevens and our Wallaroos.

“His success speaks for itself, having played elite sport for many years before transferring those skills to coaching and working across several successful national programs.”

At the end of his tenure with New Zealand, Byrne returned home to Brisbane to be closer to his family and became national director of sport at Sportstek Academies, providing post-schooling education and sporting pathways to aspiring athletes in all sports.

Byrne is now looking forward to reconnecting to rugby and a high performance environment.

Ma’a Nonu of New Zealand poses with skills coach Mick Byrne and the Hillary Shield in 2008. Source: Getty Images

“The challenge to coach some aspiring athletes this past year has been really rewarding, especially enabling them to develop their skills and progress with their studies,” Byrne said.

“It’s something I’ve really enjoyed.

“Being back home in Australia, and closer to the rugby community I have seen some great progress in the game, and I’m looking forward to being part of its development alongside some very talented coaches, players and passionate administrators of the game.

“Working in a high performance environment, with similar minded people is something that I missed in time away from professional sport.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside people with similar aspirations for the sport here in Australia.”

Dan Carter of the All Blacks works with skills coach Mick Byrne in 2013. Source: Getty Images

The Sydney-born Byrne played rugby union and league until his late teens, before converting to AFL, where he played 167 games and scored 150 goals over a 13-year career with Melbourne, Hawthorn and Sydney, including a premiership with the Hawks in 1983.

Although celebrated as an AFL player, his knowledge of rugby was always respected, coaching the Manly Marlins to a premiership in Sydney’s Shute Shield competition in 1997 with former Wallabies assistant Tim Lane, and he was part of Super Rugby and UK powerhouses, the Brumbies and Saracens.

Byrne will start his new role alongside Michael Cheika as the Wallabies assemble for a training camp in Sydney before The Rugby Championship squad is announced early in August.

The Wallabies kick off The Rugby Championship with a Bledisloe Cup clash against the All Blacks on August 20 in Sydney.