Hurricanes add former All Black to their backroom staff

The Hurricanes have finalised their backroom team for the 2024 season with former All Blacks second-row Bryn Evans joining their ranks as lineout and kick off coach.

The 39-year-old will link up with fellow assistant coaches Tyler Bleyendaal, Cory Jane, Jamie Mackintosh and incoming head coach Clark Laidlaw as part of a new-look Hurricanes coaching staff.

Plenty of experience as a player

Evans, who represented the All Blacks in two Tests in 2009 and the Hurricanes in 25 matches between 2009 and 2011, retired last season when he was with fellow Super Rugby side the Highlanders. He also had stints with Premiership outfits London Irish and Sale Sharks as well as French club Biarritz, after leaving New Zealand in 2011.

He has quickly made an impact as a coach as he was part of Hawke’s Bay’s coaching set-up in in this year’s National Provincial Championship, and is eager to add value into an area he specialised in as a player.

“I am massively excited and feel very privileged to be given an opportunity to coach, especially at a place where I loved to play and compete,” Evans told the Hurricanes’ official website.

“The switch [to coaching] has been pretty good. Towards the back end of my playing career, I found myself running a lot of lineout sessions anyway which helped the coaches concentrate on other things. I really enjoyed teaching and showing the things I learnt on my rugby journey to others. The difference now is I don’t have to strap the boots on anymore, and if I do, it’s only to run the water.”

Evans is looking forward to coaching alongside some familiar faces he played with during his career.

“I played with Jamie growing up, and I was at the Hurricanes with CJ (Cory Jane), so there’s that coming through the door and having guys you know already which has made it easier for me,” he said.

“But at the same time, you have Clark and Tyler, and everyone else here who has gone out of their way to make me feel welcome, so it’s been easy to get into work.”

Evans is keen to lean on his fellow coaches during the upcoming season for some coaching wisdom and growth.

“I’ve made it a big part of my growth plan to look at the whole coaching group and use them throughout the season as people to learn from,” he said. “I want to firstly connect and build relationships with the players, then we can work hard on delivering a set piece that suits the way we want to play the game.”

Valuable asset for the Hurricanes

Laidlaw is delighted to add Evans to his backroom staff and said he is certain the new addition will be a valuable asset to the coaching staff and the Hurricanes.

“It’s great to have Hurricane #149 back here again. He was an amazing player, gaining a lot of experience throughout his career here, as well as in England and France,” he said.

“His expertise around the set-piece will be vital and is going to benefit us greatly for the upcoming season.”

The Hurricanes are currently involved in pre-season training with most of their squad now assembled.

They will play two pre-season matches against the Highlanders in Queenstown on February 9, and Moana Pasifika on February 16 at New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport in Wellington.

READ MORE: All Blacks captain Sam Cane at odds with own agent over NZR’s overseas policy