Culhane taking the Highlanders road
Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:55
The New Zealand Rugby Union and Highlanders franchise have confirmed that Southland's Simon Culhane has been appointed as the Highlanders' new assistant coach.
Culhane, a former All Black first five-eighth, takes up his position with the Highlanders immediately, but will continue to co-coach the Southland Stags with David Henderson to the end of the 2011 NPC season.
Culhane joins fellow former All Black Jamie Joseph, who was last month announced as the new coach for the Highlanders.
Joseph has been transitioning from his position as coach of the Wellington Lions and moves to his new position after this weekend's NPC clash against Otago.
NZRU General Manager of Professional Rugby Neil Sorensen welcomed Culhane's appointment, saying: "Simon is a great fit for the Highlanders and will bring a unique set of leadership and coaching skills to the team."
Highlanders Chairman Ross Laidlaw said it was ideal to be able to tap into coaching skills from within the franchise's provincial union circle.
"Simon is a strong addition to the Highlanders fold and we are excited about the combination of skills he will bring. Both Simon and Jamie have been at the helm of Ranfurly Shield winning teams and both have strong affiliations to the South. The Highlanders will be a formidable force in 2011," he said.
The new Highlanders assistant coach is looking forward to the challenge. Said Culhane: "I am delighted to be joining the team.
"Southland is a proud provincial union partner of the Highlanders franchise, so this is a natural progression for me. I'm looking forward to the challenge of stepping up to this role.
"It has been important to me to continue my commitment to Southland's NPC campaigns in 2010 and 2011, as well as our determination to keep the Ranfurly Shield," Culhane added.
Culhane has been co-coach of the Southland Stags since 2005.
He played for Southland when he was picked for the All Blacks in 1995, which saw him play at the World Cup in South Africa as Andrew Mehrtens's understudy. In all, he played nine matches for the All Blacks - including six Tests.
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