All Blacks great Ma’a Nonu joins the Sharks

Two-time World Cup winner Ma’a Nonu is joining the Sharks.

The 44-year-old, who most recently played for Toulon and also featured for the All Blacks on 103 occasions will spend a few months with the Sharks as part of a high-performance mentorship programme.

It has been designed to accelerate the development of the team’s next generation of players.

Nonu joins the team primarily in a mentorship and leadership capacity, working alongside the coaching staff to support player development and strengthen the club’s high-performance culture.

In a statement issued by the Sharks on Saturday, the union says: “Through his long-standing relationship with coach JP Pietersen and a shared belief in developing world-class people as well as players, Durban became the ideal environment for Nonu to embrace the opportunity to give back to the game by investing in the next generation of talent.

“Throughout his All Blacks career, Nonu was immersed in one of the most successful high-performance cultures in world sport. While his rugby achievements are exceptional and well-known, it is his lived experience of building standards, accountability and winning behaviors over more than two decades that makes this opportunity unique for the Sharks.”

Pietersen, who played regularly against Nonu during their Test days for the Springboks and All Blacks respectively, added: “The best players don’t just leave memories, they leave standards. That’s what Ma’a brings. Every conversation, every training session and every interaction is an opportunity for our players to learn what excellence looks like.”

Nonu said: “The Sharks are one of the world’s most iconic rugby clubs and Durban has always been a special place for me to travel to. One of my earliest away matches in Super Rugby was played here, and I’ve carried fond memories of this city and its passionate rugby fans ever since.

“I have immense respect for JP. We competed against each other for many years, and I’m looking forward to working with him and the team.

“This is a great opportunity to give back to the game. Working alongside the future stars of our sport is exciting, and I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to help the club during my time there.”

The Sharks CEO Shaun Bryans believes this move reflects the club’s commitment to creating an environment where young players can learn from the very best.

“Opportunities for someone of Ma’a’s calibre to spend time in our environment don’t come around often. While his achievements on field are exceptional, it is his professionalism, leadership and understanding of what it takes to consistently perform at the highest level, that makes this such an exciting opportunity for our club.

“As we continue to build for the future, exposing our environment to world-class performers who have achieved sustained success is invaluable. His presence over the next few months will add significant value to our playing group through the mentorship, standards and rugby knowledge he will share with our team every day.”