The Melbourne Rebels have confirmed former All Black and highly-regarded leadership coach Andrew Blowers will join their revamped coaching staff.
Blowers played 18 games for New Zealand, making his debut in 1996 before enjoying stints in Europe after plying his trade at the Blues and Hurricanes
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The 46-year-old has signed on as a leadership coach, having excelled in the field at the neighbouring Melbourne Storm, helping them to two premierships.
“The club is absolutely delighted that Andrew has agreed to join the Rebels in a key player leadership role," CEO Baden Stephenson said in a statement
“Andrew is highly respected and firmly embedded in the Victorian Rugby community, with a strong understanding of our strengths, gaps and opportunities with our Pacifika players.
“Leadership doesn’t just sit with one person in the club, it is a shared responsibility and I believe we have an outstanding team who will all have tailored roles with our leadership programs, including Kevin, Andrew, Moana Leilua (Player Development Manager), Sally McNeilly (GM People & Culture) and Nick Stiles (GM Rugby).
”Head Coach Kevin Foote is very passionate about driving culture and developing leadership right across the whole Club."
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During his time at the Storm, Blowers ingrained himself in the Melbourne community, founding The Catalyst House - which aims to assist and empower Maori and Pacific Islander people.
On his move back to union, the 46-year-old was excited to work with the emerging squad, looking to unleash their full potentials both on and off the field.
“I have a big passion about building the mindset and leadership behaviours of players on and off the field and unleashing their strengths - that’s something I’ve always been fascinated about,” added Blowers.
“There’s a real community feel at the Rebels, which is special. Kevin Foote’s approach of being connected with your surroundings and your community, is something I’ve carried throughout my career, so that really resonated with me.
“What also stood out to me was just how driven this organisation and the playing group was. There’s so much potential to grow and evolve from good to great, with both the playing group, but also the staff, so that was really exciting for me and something I really wanted to become a part of.”
