Georgia have bolstered their coaching ranks ahead of the upcoming Rugby World Cup in 2027 with the appointment of former All Blacks great Jerome Kaino.

The Lelos will share Pool B with South Africa, Italy and Romania in a little under one year’s time.

The two-time Rugby World Cup winner has joined the Lelos coaching staff for the November international window, where he will work as an assistant coach under Pierre-Henri Broncan.

Kaino’s brief will focus on contact areas and attacking rucks as Georgia continue their preparations for a month that includes Tests against Canada, Tonga and the USA.

The appointment reunites Kaino with Broncan, with the pair having previously worked together at French heavyweights Toulouse.

Despite linking up with the Georgian national side, the 43-year-old will retain his existing role at Toulouse.

Georgia confirmed the appointment in a statement, describing Kaino as a specialist addition to Broncan’s backroom team for the November programme.

Born in American Samoa in 1983, Kaino moved to New Zealand with his family at the age of four and would go on to establish himself as one of the outstanding back-row forwards of his generation.

After developing through the Auckland system, he represented both Auckland and the Blues between 2004 and 2018, becoming a mainstay of New Zealand rugby during one of the most successful periods in the nation’s history.

His rise first gathered pace in 2004 when he helped the Junior All Blacks win the World Rugby Under-21 Championship and was subsequently named the world’s Under-21 Player of the Year.

That same year brought his senior All Blacks debut. He went to win 81 Test caps, two Rugby World Cup triumphs in 2011 and 2015, and five Rugby Championship titles.

The 6’5, 113kg Kaino was named New Zealand Player of the Year in 2011 after playing a pivotal role in the All Blacks ending their 24-year wait for a World Cup on home soil.

Following the conclusion of his Super Rugby career, Kaino moved to France where he spent the final three seasons of his playing career with Toulouse. The powerhouse loose forward lifted the Top 14 title in both 2019 and 2021, while also helping Toulouse capture the Champions Cup in what proved to be the final season of his playing career.

Kaino immediately transitioned into coaching and has spent the past five years with Toulouse working in skills development and with the club’s Under-21 programme.