Two-time World Cup winner Jerome Kaino joins Georgia staff ahead of 2027 Rugby World Cup

Jerome Kaino, the two-time Rugby World Cup winner and former All Blacks back-row, has joined the Georgia coaching staff for the November international window, the Lelos confirmed. The 43-year-old will serve as an assistant under head coach Pierre-Henri Broncan, with a specific brief covering contact areas and attacking rucks.

The appointment carries added significance given Georgia’s draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, where the Lelos will face South Africa, Italy and Romania in Pool B. November’s programme — featuring Tests against Canada, Tonga and the USA — represents a key preparation block ahead of that tournament.

Kaino and Broncan are no strangers to one another, having previously worked together at Toulouse. Despite his new international role, Kaino will retain his existing position at the French club, where he has spent the past five years working in skills development and with the Under-21 programme.

Born in American Samoa in 1983, Kaino moved to New Zealand at the age of four and developed through the Auckland system before representing both Auckland and the Blues between 2004 and 2018. He earned 81 Test caps for the All Blacks, winning the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and 2015 and claiming five Rugby Championship titles.

His 2011 season was particularly distinguished — he was named New Zealand Player of the Year after playing a central role in the All Blacks ending a 24-year World Cup drought on home soil. Earlier in his career, he had helped the Junior All Blacks win the World Rugby Under-21 Championship in 2004 and was named Under-21 Player of the Year that same year.

After concluding his Super Rugby career, Kaino moved to Toulouse, where he lifted the Top 14 title in 2019 and 2021 and added a Champions Cup winners’ medal before retiring. He transitioned directly into coaching, and Georgia’s decision to bring him in as a specialist addition reflects both his technical expertise and his familiarity with Broncan’s methods.

Georgia described Kaino as a specialist addition to the backroom team for the November programme, with the expectation that his experience at the highest level of the game will sharpen the Lelos ahead of their most challenging World Cup pool to date.