SA Rugby hires former Force coach Dave Wessels as performance boss

In a coup for their rugby office SA Rugby has appointed former Western Force and Melbourne Rebels coach Dave Wessels as their general manager of high performance.

Wessels, 41, who has held the position of head of rugby at the Stormers/Western Province, takes up his new post with immediate effect.

Operationally the organisation has undergone much change with former director of rugby Rassie Erasmus taking up the role of Springbok coach after Jacques Nienaber vacated the job.

SA Rugby said in a statement the role of director of rugby has been mothballed but Wessels will have to pick up some of Erasmus's old responsibilities.

Simultaneously, the role of general manager of rugby has been discontinued and the incumbent, Charles Wessels, will focus entirely on Springbok affairs.

“We are undertaking a review of all rugby activities and ensuring the structure is best purposed to meet the needs of our national teams,” SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said.

“These changes begin the process of providing better support for all our national teams and further changes are being considered.

“The appointment of Dave Wessels achieves two objectives — it allows Rassie and Charles Wessels to focus solely on the national team while creating a resource that can provide greater direction and support to our other national teams.

“In particular, it will allow for greater emphasis on the strategic needs and future plans of our sevens, women’s and junior national teams whose requirements will now receive singular attention.”

Dave Wessels is a dynamic and highly respected operator. He comes with an impressive rugby pedigree since moving into coaching in 2008 after a successful career in website development and earning a master’s degree in IT from the University of Cape Town.

He first worked as a consultant with Western Province/Stormers, graduating to spells as an assistant coach with UCT and the ACT Brumbies in Australia, before taking over as head coach of the Western Force (the youngest ever Super Rugby coach) and subsequently the Melbourne Rebels.

He at times got both struggling teams to punch above their weight.

Wessels returned to South Africa after a decade in Australia and took up the role as head of rugby at Western Province/Stormers in 2022.

“Rassie gave me my first real job in rugby back in 2008 and I know what a good environment he runs. It’s a privilege to be part of a world-leading organisation such as SA Rugby,” Wessels said.

“The needs of high-performance environments are always changing and my job will be to offer support and create systems that will ensure sustained success for South Africa's teams into the future.

“This is a big challenge and I hope the experiences I’ve had in various roles both here and overseas for the past decade-and-a-half will be beneficial.

“I’m also very grateful to the Stormers. It’s been wonderful to be a part of the team over the last few years and I wish the guys all the best.”