Cardiff (United Kingdom) (AFP)

Former star and Wales captain Sam Warburton will join the staff of the national rugby team with another former international, Byron Hayward, said Friday the federation.

Warburton (31), former third-row wing with 74 caps including 49 as captain of Wales, will be technical advisor for defense and open scrum phases. He had ended his international career in 2018.

Hayward (50, 2 caps), back when he was a player, will be the defense coach. He was in the Scarlet (Pro 14) position under New Zealand coach Wayne Pivac, who succeeded Warren Gatland after the World Cup in Japan, where the Welsh finished 4th.

The two men join a string of old glories already present in the technical Welsh: Stephen Jones, Jonathan Humphreys and Neil Jenkins.

© 2019 AFP