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EMIRATES WESTERN FORCE MEDIA RELEASE
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
The Emirates Western Force has appointed David Wessels (Senior Assistant Coach) and Kevin Foote (Backs Coach) to a first-class coaching panel for the next two years.
Wessels, a former Defence Consultant to the Force, Stormers and Brumbies, and Foote, a Varsity Cup-winning head coach in South Africa, will assist Head Coach, Michael Foley, in managing the development of the squad for the 2014 and 2015 Super Rugby seasons.
The South African pair was on staff with the Force as Defensive Consultants in 2013, with the former University of Cape Town coaching duo taking up full-time roles with the Western Australian team from next season.
Foley says Foote and Wessels bring with them a wealth of rugby knowledge and experience to assist with the further development of the Emirates Western Force squad.
“We’re focused on developing our players and we’re bringing together coaches that are dedicated to achieving that,” he said.
“Team culture, game style and personal development are areas that all our coaches need to understand and embrace to ensure players expectations of themselves and each other constantly grow.
“Both Kevin and Dave earned respect among the squad as a result of their knowledge of the game and their ability to effectively and energetically communicate their thoughts with all squad members.”
David Wessels, who will oversee the Force’s defence, has previously held the role of Defence Consultant with the Emirates Western Force, Stormers and Brumbies.
His time with the Brumbies in 2012 saw them concede the fewest points in the Australian conference and the second least overall, while the Force’s defence took significant steps forward in 2013, conceding 15 fewer tries than in the previous Super Rugby season.
Wessels held the role of Assistant Coach for Ikeys (University of Cape Town) in South Africa’s Varsity Cup alongside Foote for three seasons, during a time that saw them qualify for the play-offs in 2009, finish runners-up in 2010 before defeating Tuks (University of Pretoria) in the 2011 final.
Wessels says he’s keen to build on what was achieved during the 2013 Super Rugby season.
“It’s exciting to be part of a team on the rise and I’m looking forward to continuing what we started as a coaching group with the Force this season,” he said.
“There were a number of new processes and structures introduced to the team and while they responded very well to these, I’m really looking forward to be able to develop those further this season.
“Foles [Foley] has put a world-class program in place in Perth; there is a strong emphasis on player development and this will hold the club in excellent stead moving forward.”
Kevin Foote, a former Western Province Under 21, Natal Wildebeest (Vodacom Cup) and Springbok Sevens representative, began his coaching career as Assistant Coach at Ikeys in 2009, taking over the role from former Springbok centre Robbie Fleck.
He was promoted to the head coaching role in 2011 and guided Ikeys to their first Varsity Cup title, defeating Tuks 26-16 in the final.
Foote, who coached Emirates Western Force new recruit Marcel Brache in that Varsity Cup-winning side, says he’s excited to continue being a part of the development of the squad.
“We made considerable headway in a number of areas this season and it’s exciting to have the opportunity to be part of developing the team further over the next two years,” Foote said.
“The team formed a solid foundation this year based on setting itself high standards and we now have a strong base from which to build upon.
“Foles [Foley] has been very targeted in his recruitment for this season and the incoming players will add further quality to what is already a very capable playing squad next season.”
The pair will join the team from South Africa ahead of the start of the 2014 pre-season.
Profiles
Name: David Wessels
Role: Senior Assistant Coach
Previous Coaching Roles: 2013 Defence Consultant – Emirates Western Force; 2012 Defence Consultant – Brumbies; 2009-2011 Assistant Coach – University of Cape Town; 2008-2009 Defence Consultant – Stormers.
Name: Kevin Foote
Role: Backs Coach
Previous Coaching Roles: 2013 Defence Consultant – Emirates Western Force; 2011-2013 Head Coach – University of Cape Town (Ikeys); 2008-2010 Assistant Coach – University of Cape Town (Ikeys)
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Originally Posted by Nipper
