TORONTO — Veteran Canadian international Jamie Cudmore will serve as forwards/defence coach for interim Canadian coach Francois Ratier at the 2016 Americas Rugby Championship.
Cudmore will be part of the Canadian coaching staff for the first three days of the newly expanded six-team tournament.
The 37-year-old lock forward from Squamish, B.C., is one of Canada’s most prominent rugby exports although he is currently recovering from a back injury sustained playing for Clermont Auvergne in France.
He has won 39 caps for Canada and served as skipper at last fall’s World Cup when regular captain Tyler Ardron was injured.
"Jamie is a great ambassador for Canadian rugby," Ratier said in a statement. "He will bring a lot of energy and share his professional experience. It’s never too early to start coaching and I’m delighted Jamie will be joining us."
Finding a new Canadian assistant coach was one of the recommendations of Rugby Canada’s World Cup review panel.
Canada’s coaching staff will also include the Prairie Wolf Pack head coach Graeme Moffat (attack coach), Mike Shelley (scrum coach), Andy Evans (strength and conditioning) and Ontario Blues head coach Chris Silverthorn (forwards coach).
James Kent will be team’s video analyst while Jim Kazakoff of the Wolf Pack and Mark Winokur of the Blues will share manager duties.
Cudmore’s contract with Clermont expires at the end of the current season. He has been linked with moves to Lyon in France and Gloucester in England. But a coaching career also interests him. He has some coaching experience from the Clermont academy.
"I want to use my experiences during my playing career to help our players during the tournament and also get Canada back on track in this inaugural competition," Cudmore said in a Rugby Canada release.
Canada opens at home to Uruguay on Feb. 6 at Westhills Stadium in Langford, B.C., before hosting Brazil on Feb. 20. Their other three games are away against the U.S., Chile and Argentina.
Rugby Canada is looking for a head coach to succeed Kieran Crowley, who resigned in early January to take over Italian club side Benetton Treviso.