Former All Black wing John Kirwan has been named as Frank Oliver's assistant on the Aukland Blues coaching team after Gordon Hunter was removed as head coach due to illness.

Following a failed medical the NZRFU decided Hunter, 51, who is suffering from cancer, should not remain in the post and the Blues have now appointed a replacement management team promoting Oliver from assistant.

Picture: John Kirwan flying down the wing against Fiji in his All Black days (Allsport)

The appointment of Kirwan, however, has caused some consternation in New Zealand as he has no top grade coaching experience, he had been coaching Japanese side NEC and was Aukland's manager last season.

But the Blues say, with Hunter ruled out, they have had their hand forced and the new appointments, which also include former All Black skipper Sean Fitzpatrick as team manager, have been sanctioned by the NZRFU.

The appointment means that other top names, currently working their way through the grades with NPC clubs, like Bryce Woodward of Northland, North Harbour's Allan Pollock and Grant Fox, at Aukland have been looked over.

However Kirwan believes that coming into coaching from an unconventional background may not be a handicap. He told the New Zealand Herald:

"People have every right to take a bit of a wait-and-see approach to my coaching," said Kirwan, who arrived back from Japan last week. It is a big step for me and, rightly, people will have a few questions about it.

"The main thing at the moment is that I'm concerned for Gordon. But I'm very excited about this challenge for me, and very confident I can do the job. I believe the Blues have the most talented players in world, not just Super 12, rugby.

"I had a close look at things as the manager last year and that will help my organisational side of things. And there are different ways to come to coaching. It can be a good thing to come from outside the square."

Auckland chief executive David White said he agreed that coaches should come through the system but said that the panel that decided on the appointment decided that in the circumstances Kirwan was the best man available for the job.