Georgia have appointed former All Blacks back-row Jerome Kaino to their coaching staff for the November international window, adding specialist expertise to a team that will face South Africa, Italy and Romania in the 2027 Rugby World Cup pool stage.
Kaino joins as an assistant coach under Pierre-Henri Broncan, a reunion for the pair who worked together at Toulouse. His brief covers contact areas and attacking rucks as the Lelos prepare for November Tests against Canada, Tonga and the USA. The appointment is window-specific, with Kaino retaining his existing role at Toulouse, where he has spent the past five years in skills development and with the club's Under-21 programme.
The 43-year-old won the World Cup with the All Blacks in both 2011 and 2015, scoring four tries during the 2011 tournament on home soil. Named New Zealand Player of the Year that same year, he was regarded as the standout blindside flanker of his era. After his Super Rugby career he moved to Toulouse, winning the Top 14 in 2019 and 2021 and a Champions Cup before transitioning directly into coaching.
Currently ranked 13th in the world, Georgia's primary ambition at RWC 2027 will be to advance beyond the pool stage.