Former All Black joins fifth-tier Wiltshire club
Siviteni Sivivatu aims to create great players after joining Marlborough as technical adviser
- Published
Former All Black winger Sitiveni Sivivatu hopes to help make "great rugby players of the future" after joining fifth-tier side Marlborough as a technical advisor.
Sivivatu retired from playing in 2011 after a career that saw him capped 46 times by New Zealand and play for clubs such as Chiefs, Clermont and Castres.
The 42-year-old, who lives near the Wiltshire club, is now working with players across all ranges at the side whose men's first team play in the English rugby's Regional 1 South West league.
"I'm there to help make them good rugby players or great rugby players of the future. It would be good to sit back and watch if they make it to international level," Sivivatu told BBC Radio Wiltshire.
"I think it'll just give them confidence to do what they want on the field as well as skills, technique.
"Ball skills, attacking, defence, whatever ways they want, I'm there to help to make them good rugby players - or great rugby players - in the future."
Sivivatu won 46 caps for New Zealand during his playing career
Marlborough is already something of a hotbed for international rugby talent.
Former Tonga international Elisi Vunipola - father of Manu and uncle of ex-England forwards Billy and Mako - has been director of rugby for the last six years, former Tonga and Cardiff forward Taufa'ao Filise was previously on the coaching staff, and Tonga prop Halani Aulika also joined the set-up this summer.
Vunipola said Sivivatu having All Black status will help attract even more talent.
"His knowledge about rugby is very deep as an All Black and his calibre - I think he's going to bring a lot of things," Vunipola said.
"He's going to be attractive to players and people to come [here]."
Club chairman Howard Wilkinson said it was a "real feather in the cap" for the club to secure Sivivatu.
"[He'll bring] some experience, some technical skills and a philosophical approach which is really very important and that will complement what we're doing already," he said.