Japan assistant coach Atsushi Tanabe joins Southland Stags

Japanese assistant coach Atsushi Tanabe will join the Southland Stags coaching setup for the 2017 provincial season.

Tanabe is scheduled to join the Stags later this month and will remain with the team throughout the Mitre 10 Cup.

The Japan assistant will team up with fellow Stags assistant coach Jason Kawau as Southland's attack coaches this season.

Clarke Dermody is also returning as another Stags assistant coach this season.

Tanabe is a former Panasonic Wild Knights and Japan international player and is an assistant coach with Japanese Super Rugby team the Sunwolves - on top of his national coaching duties.

Stags coach Hoani Macdonald said former Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph - who is now the head coach of the Japanese national team - approached him about the possibility of Tanabe joining the Stags set up this year as a professional development exercise.

His role in the Stags wouldn't cost Rugby Southland anything and Macdonald said the extra pair of hands and set of eyes during the season would be a big benefit.