SA Rugby confirm Rassie Erasmus’ replacement in new high-performance position
Dave Wessels has been appointed as SA Rugby's new general manager for high performance rugby.
SA Rugby have announced that they have appointed former Western Force and Melbourne Rebels head coach Dave Wessels to a new position as their general manager for high performance rugby.
The 41-year-old currently serves as the Stormers and Western Province’s head of rugby and will take up his new role immediately.
Part of ‘repurposing of the rugby department’
Wessels’ appointment continues what SA Rugby describes as “the repurposing of the rugby department” after Rassie Erasmus returned to the position of head coach of the Springboks with his role as director of rugby being phased out.
SA Rugby also announced that their position of general manager: rugby has also been deactivated with the incumbent, Charles Wessels, who is no relation to Dave Wessels, now focusing entirely on Springbok matters.
“We are undertaking a review of all rugby activities and ensuring the structure is best purposed to meet the needs of our national teams,” said SA Rugby’s chief executive Rian Oberholzer.
“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.”
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Dave Wessels made the move into coaching in 2008 after a successful career in website development after he received a masters’ degree in Information Technology from the University of Cape Town (UCT).
After initially working as a consultant with Western Province and the Stormers, he had stints as an assistant coach with UCT and the Brumbies in Australia, before taking over as head coach of the Western Force and subsequently Melbourne Rebels.
His spell at the Force made him the youngest ever Super Rugby head coach but after resigning from his position at the Rebels in 2021, he returned to South Africa.
Spent a decade in Australia
This, after he spent a decade in Australia and in 2022 he was appointed to the head of rugby position at Western Province and Stormers.
“Rassie gave me my first real job in rugby back in 2008 and I know what a good environment he runs,” said Wessels. “It’s a privilege to be part of a world-leading organisation such as SA Rugby.
“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 that 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 DHL 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.”
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