Ewen McKenzie's five-year tenure as coach of New South Wales will come to an end at the close of the Super 14 season after the Waratahs announced they would not be renewing his contract.

McKenzie, who expressed an interest in the vacant Ireland position last week, will be allowed to remain in charge until the end of the Super 14 in May but has not been asked to renew his contract.

"Ewen's situation does not change for the rest of the Super 14 season, we still have a competition to win and we are right in the mix," Waratahs Chief Executive Jim L'Estrange said in a statement. "We are absolutely committed to Ewen finishing the job this season."

The former test prop had been touted as a future Australia coach after guiding the Waratahs to the Super 14 final in 2005 then the semi-finals in 2006 but was suddenly under pressure to keep his job after they finished 13th last season.

"In an ideal world you'd like to go on and on but this is professional sport and I've been in the job longer than anyone else so I've had a good innings," McKenzie said. "The good thing about this announcement today is that it puts to bed the
 innuendo in the press that has unfairly distracted the team for weeks. Now we can concentrate on playing rugby.

"We're giving this comp a real crack and I don't mind being underdogs . . . I want to move on from this announcement."

Asked about the Ireland job last week, McKenzie said: "I haven't done anything about it, but that doesn't mean I won't have a look. I'm not going to say no. I'm not going to say yes. There are other jobs, too, popping up around the place ... it's a matter of keeping your options open."