2014 SUPER RUGBY MEDIA GUIDE BLUES 122 SIR JOHN KIRWAN Position: Head Coach Born: 16 December 1964, Auckland NZL Coaching History: NEC Green Rockets Head Coach (1999-2001) Blues Assistant Coach (2001) Italy Assistant Coach (2001-02) Italy Head Coach (2002-05) Japan Head Coach (2007-11) UK Barbarians Head Coach (2012) Blues Head Coach (2013-) Sir John Kirwan heads into his second season as Head Coach of the Blues in 2014. After a distinguished playing career for Auckland (1983-1994) and the All Blacks (1984-1994), Kirwan began his coaching career in Japan at NEC in 1999. Since then he has coached both the Italian and Japanese national rugby teams. In the 2012 Queen’s Birthday honour list, Kirwan was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to mental health awareness. Kirwan speaks Italian and Japanese, largely as a result of his time spent overseas. MICK BYRNE Position: Assistant Coach Born: 2 December 1958, Sydney AUS Coaching History: Sydney Swans Assistant Coach (1992-93) Manly Sea Eagles Coaching Consultant (1993-2001) Wallabies Coaching Consultant (1998-2001) Brumbies Coaching Consultant (1998-2001) Saracens Skills Coach (2004-05) Japan Assistant Coach (2009-11) All Blacks Skills Coach (2005-) Blues Assistant Coach (2013-) Mick Byrne, a former AFL player, has previously coached alongside Sir John Kirwan in Japan and held several specialist skills coaching roles with the All Blacks, Brumbies, Wallabies and Scotland. Byrne’s coaching will focus on individual skills, lineout attack and the ruck.
2014 Super Rugby Media Guide
To see the actual publication please follow the link above