Colin Cooper commits to Taranaki till 2014

Ranfurly Shield winning coach Colin Cooper will remain with Taranaki until the conclusion of the 2014 ITM Cup season.

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While Taranaki chief executive Mark Robinson has departed, leaving the union in excellent shape off the field, the retention of the former Hurricanes boss is a further stage of transformation for the proud province that has become a championship contender in recent years.

Cooper took Taranaki from eighth to equal fourth during his first year in command, while last year they finished a respectable third overall, while taking the Shield of Southland.

"We've got some young players coming through, we've got the Ranfurly Shield, so it was pretty easy to commit to," he said to the Taranaki Daily News, who proudly have an image of the Log o’Wood intertwined on their logo.

"It's good to be wanted, too."

"The bonus of the shield is massive, too. I'd been chasing that for 30 years and there is a real determination from all of us to hold it."

Robinson signed off the deal with Cooper as one of his final acts as chief executive, meaning that the head coach - as well as all major sponsors - is locked in for at least another two seasons.

Former All Black Robinson, who was also behind Taranaki hosting a test match against Samoa, said the future was bright for the region.

"It (the signing of Cooper) gives our stakeholders, our sponsors and our players a lot of faith that the environment is going to stay largely the same and settled," he said.

"It also signals to the rest of New Zealand that we remain ambitious about seeking and retaining the best possible people. All in all, to have this ticked off is great for the union and it gives me a lot of satisfaction personally as well."