DANNY Wilson has been given carte blanche to build his own management team after being appointed as head coach at Cardiff Blues.

The former Newport Gwent Dragons forwards coach heads to the capital on a three-year deal after an early release from his contract with Bristol was negotiated.

The ex-hooker from Weston-Super-Mare, who has also coached Wales Under-20s and the Scarlets, will be charged with a rebuilding job at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park after the club finished 10th in the Guinness Pro12 last season with just the Italian pair of Zebre and Treviso beneath them.

Wilson takes over the reins from Mark Hammett, who left Cardiff six months into a three-year deal for personal reasons.

Coaches Dale McIntosh and Paul John were at the helm for the end of the campaign and were already in place when Hammett joined last summer but Wilson has freedom to appoint whoever he wants as deputies.

"Danny will have complete authority on the rugby side of the business and will be given the time to rebuild and get Cardiff Blues back to where we feel is our rightful place in European rugby," said Cardiff Blues chief executive Richard Holland.

"He will now surround himself with his coaching team to take us forward over the next three years and he will therefore confirm our backroom staff in the coming weeks.

"Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bristol Rugby and CEO Steve Gorvett for their collaboration and understanding throughout this process. Our thanks also go to Wales head coach Warren Gatland for his involvement and all the candidates we interviewed."

"I'm now looking forward to getting started at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, a place steeped in history and tradition, and building an environment, culture and squad that will take us forward in the long-term," said Wilson.

"Cardiff Blues has always enjoyed fantastic support from its dedicated fans and I would encourage them to now get right behind us and be part of the journey over the coming years."