Assistant coach Blyendaal joins AB Barrett at Leinster

Assistant coach Tyler Bleyendaal is the latest member of the Hurricanes franchise to join Irish club Leinster. Less than 24 hours after All Blacks midfielder Jordie Barrett announced he will join Leinster - he will play for the club during the 2024-25 season - it was confirmed that Bleyendaal is also heading to Ireland after the Super Rugby Pacific season.

Bleyendaal, a former Crusaders No 10 who later played for Irish club Munster, has been a member of the Hurricanes coaching staff since 2020. Leinster stated Bleyendaal has signed for the 2024-25 season.

He will replace former Crusaders assistant coach Andrew Goodman. Goodman joined Leinster as an attack coach after the 2022 Super Rugby season and will soon move into the Ireland coaching set-up. Goodman will assist Andy Farrell through to the 2027 World Cup.

Bleyendaal played 62 times for Munster before a neck injury forced him to retire in May 2020. He played 21 games for the Crusaders and was a New Zealand under-20 captain. Bleyendaal was also part of the Tonga coaching team at the World Cup in France last year.

Bleyendaal told the Leinster club website he was grateful to the Hurricanes, including current coach Clark Laidlaw and CEO Avan Lee, for the opportunities they gave him as a young coach.

“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 (Leinster coach) for the chance to continue my growth as a coach,’’ Bleyendaal stated.

“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.”

Cullen said he had been impressed by the way the Hurricanes attack has operated and believed Bleyendaal possessed a “really smart rugby mind’’.

“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,’’ Cullen said.

“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.

“We wish Tyler well for the rest of the Super Rugby season and look forward to welcoming him and his family to Leinster during the summer.”