Former Western Force and Melbourne Rebels head coach, Dave Wessels, has been appointed as SA Rugby's new general manager for high performance rugby. The 41-year-old, who currently heads the Stormers and Western Province's rugby department, will transition to his new role immediately as part of the organization's repurposing of the rugby department.

Rassie Erasmus, the Springboks head coach, has returned to his position with the director of rugby role being phased out. This restructuring also includes deactivating the position of general manager: rugby, with Charles Wessels, who is unrelated to Dave Wessels, now solely focused on Springbok matters.

SA Rugby's chief executive, Rian Oberholzer, stated, "We are undertaking a review of all rugby activities to ensure the structure supports our national teams. The appointment of Dave Wessels will allow for greater support for our various national teams, including sevens, women's, and junior squads."

Dave Wessels began his coaching career in 2008 after a successful stint in website development. He holds a master's degree in Information Technology from UCT and has worked as an assistant coach with UCT and the Brumbies before leading the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels. After spending a decade in Australia, Wessels returned to South Africa in 2022 to head the rugby operations for Western Province and the Stormers.

Wessels expressed his excitement about the new role, stating, "It's a privilege to be part of a world-leading organization such as SA Rugby. My job will be to offer support and create systems to ensure sustained success for South Africa's teams. I am grateful to the DHL Stormers and look forward to the new challenge.

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