Hurricanes have confirmed that former New Zealand Under 20 captain Tyler Bleyendaal will join the club as an assistant coach.
Bleyendaal started his professional rugby career with Canterbury in 2011 and went on to make his Super Rugby debut for Crusaders in 2012 and has played 21 games for them.
The 30-year-old switched to Pro14 club Munster in 2015 but was hampered by neck and quadriceps tendon injuries. Having made over 50 appearances for the Irish regional side, he was forced to retire due to a persistent neck injury in May this year.
He has also captained New Zealand Under 20 to a title win in 2010 IRB Junior World Championship and qualified to play for Ireland under residency rules in January 2018.
“Becoming a part of a management team that wants to develop the talent in the Hurricanes squad and have them reach their potential as both men and rugby players is something I’m really looking forward to,” he told the official website of the club.
“Being closer to our families is also an obvious benefit to moving home.
“We are excited for our kids to be able to connect with our families more often and it’s going to be a massive help for my wife and I as we get settled in after the big move. “
Bleyendaal also said he was impressed by the 2020 season of Super Rugby Aotearoa and is looking forward to the upcoming edition.
“You watch the relentless week-on-week battles that were taking place. High pressure games with small margins. It was a great competition for developing both the established players and young talent in New Zealand rugby.”
