Nathan Hines has been brought on board to help Scotland’s Rugby World Cup campaign.
The 77-times capped lock forward will join the national team’s coaching staff next month, following his decision to retire midway through a two-year deal with Sale Sharks.
The 38-year-old former British and Irish Lions second row will work as a ‘resource coach’.
Hines will add expertise in the area of line-out play, while supporting the development of younger forwards.
Post World Cup his role will be broadened to include work with the country’s two pro teams, the new BT Sport Academies and Scotland age grade sides.
The appointment will see head coach Vern Cotter and Hines link up for the second time in their careers, after the Kiwi signed him from then Heineken Cup champions Leinster to his Clermont Auvergne team in 2011.
Also confirmed by the SRU is the departure of scrum coach Massimo Cuttitta.
On the arrival of Hines, Cotter said: “Nathan has a huge amount of experience, not only in rugby union, but also in rugby league.
“His speciality is the lineout but we have seen, both for Scotland and other teams, that he has a very broad skill set.
“He will be an excellent resource for many facets of our game, particularly lineouts and as a role model for our younger players.
“He has always held leadership roles within the teams he has represented, which has enabled him to become a positive communicator. That will be important as we go into a very tough Rugby World Cup pool.
“Nathan has been involved at the highest level, so his ability to communicate his experiences to the group and to individuals will be very useful.
“He has a lot of passion for Scotland and I know he will get a lot of enjoyment from being part of the development of our players many of whom are just starting their senior careers and encouraging them to fill the jersey in the best way possible.”
Hines said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to help a team I played with for 11 years, and one I obviously want to do well; a team that has given me so much and helped me develop as a player.
“I think that Scotland have got some exceptional young players and I’m relishing the opportunity to help make them better than they already are. They’ve got huge potential and I want to help them in their development.
“The chance to work with Vern again is another great benefit of this role.
“He knows how I work and I know how he works, which might have been part of the decision why he asked me to come on board. We got on really well at Clermont and I’m looking forward to working with him again.
“Part of helping the team mature is sharing my experience and showing them how not to make the same mistakes I did, on my travels, and in my 11 years playing for Scotland.”