David Wessels
Date of birth | 1982 (age 41–42) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place of birth | Cape Town, Cape Province, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | St Stithians College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University | University of Cape Town | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
David Wessels (born 1982), is a South African-Australian professional rugby union football coach. He is currently the head coach of the Melbourne Rebels team that compete in the Super Rugby competition.[1] He was previously head coach at the Western Force,[2] and co-head coach of the Perth Spirit in Australia's National Rugby Championship.[3] South African born, Wessels is a naturalised Australian citizen.[4]
Wessels was born in
Varsity Cup from 2009 to 2011.[5]
He moved to Australia as a defensive consultant to the
Brumbies under head coach Jake White in 2012, and had a significant influence on the rejuvenated Brumbies with the team conceding the fewest points in the Australian Conference and the second least in the Super Rugby competition.[6][7] He joined the Western Force as the senior assistant coach for the 2013 Super Rugby season.[5][7] Wessels was appointed, alongside Kevin Foote, as co-head coach of the Perth Spirit for the inaugural season of Australia's National Rugby Championship in 2014.[3]
Wessels became the caretaker head coach of the Western Force for the last three games of 2016, before being appointed as head coach for the 2017 Super Rugby season.[2]
Following the
Australian Rugby Union's decision to exclude the Force from Super Rugby after the 2017 season,[8] Wessels joined the Melbourne Rebels as head coach in September 2017, signing a two-year deal with the team.[1] He coached the team for three and a half seasons before departing ahead of the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition in 2021.[9]
References
- ^ a b "Rebels appoint David Wessels as new Head Coach" (Press release). Melbourne Rebels. 29 September 2017. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
- ^ a b "David Wessels Appointed Head Coach of the Western Force" (Press release). Western Force. 7 September 2016. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
- ^ a b "Spirit unveils coaching squad for Buildcorp NRC" (Press release). RugbyWA. 5 August 2014. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
- ^ "One Percenters: Rebels emerge as Slipper's possible new home". Rugby.com.au. 12 August 2018. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- ^ a b "Coaching Staff". WA Rugby. 2014. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ^ Barbeler, David (27 April 2013). "Wessels switch means same old line in defence". The Canberra Times. Fairfax. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Force snare SA defence coach". Sport 24. 26 November 2012. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ^ "Force cut after arbitration finds in favour of ARU" (Press release). Australian Rugby Union. 11 August 2017. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ "Club Update: Wessels Stands Down as Melbourne Rebels Head Coach" (Press release). Melbourne Rebels. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.