Leinster have announced the appointment of Tyler Bleyendaal as an assistant coach, with the former Munster out-half set to replace Andrew Goodman in Leo Cullen's coaching ticket this summer.
The New Zealander will join the province from the Hurricanes, who he has been coaching with since 2020 following his injury-enforced retirement, and is set to fill the void left by his countryman Goodman, who will step up to the Ireland coaching team under Andy Farrell.
Bleyendaal played 62 times for Munster between 2015 and 2020 before he was forced to retire due to a persistent neck injury. The 33-year-old was the province's first choice out-half during the 2016/17 season, where he would have worked under Leinster's current senior coach Jacques Nienaber.
After retirement, the former New Zealand U20 captain went straight into a coaching role at the Hurricanes in Wellington, initially working under another ex-Munster player Jason Holland and, more recently, under Clark Laidlaw.
The 'Canes are currently first in the Super Rugby table, with seven wins from seven games this season. All Black utility back Jordie Barrett, who will come to Leinster on a short-term deal next season, is also part of the Wellington franchise.
"With Andrew taking up a position with the Ireland coaching group, we've had an opportunity not only to look at our own coaching structures here at Leinster but also to talk to a number of other coaches. Having gone through that process, we believe we are getting a really smart rugby mind in Tyler Bleyendaal," Leinster coach Leo Cullen said.
"Tyler has been with the Hurricanes for the last few seasons and has been steadily growing as a coach – you can see that in the way they’re playing now, not just their results but specifically in terms of some of the stats around their attack.
"He’s someone who knows Ireland well and understands the rugby landscape here, which is important, but ultimately we are keen for him add to our environment and for us to learn from him, which is our approach with all new coaches."
Bleyendaal, who also worked with Ireland's pool opponents Tonga at the World Cup last year, says he's excited by the prospect of a returning to Ireland.
"The opportunity to test myself in another environment and in another competition was one that I was very keen to explore, and I am equally grateful to Leo Cullen for the chance to continue my growth as a coach," he said.
"I am looking forward to joining Leinster Rugby ahead of next season and my family and I are very excited for the adventure ahead in a country that we hold dear."
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