(Reuters) - Wayne Pivac, head coach of Welsh rugby union side Scarlets, will take over from Wales coach Warren Gatland after he steps down following the 2019 World Cup in Japan, Wales Rugby Union said on Monday.
Pivac replaces Gatland, the longest serving and most successful coach of Wales, with the New Zealander's contract set to expire after the World Cup.
"In Wayne Pivac, we have secured the best man for the job and we have done so rigorously and decisively to the collective benefit of all involved in Welsh rugby," Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Martyn Phillips said at a news conference.
The 55-year-old former Fiji boss will be the 23rd man to lead Wales since David Nash was appointed head coach in 1967.
(Reporting by Arnab Paul in Bengaluru; editing by Jason Neely)