Southland Sport
Rugby Southland has appointed Dave Hewett as the organisation’s new Director of Coaching and SIT Zero Fees Southland Stags coach.
Hewett will oversee Rugby Southland’s high-performance programme which will include coaching the SIT Zero Fees Southland Stags in 2018 and 2019.
Rugby Southland General Manager Andrew Moreton said the calibre of candidates who applied for the position was very impressive which made for an extremely difficult exercise when making the decision in what was a thorough recruitment process.
Moreton is delighted to be able to appoint someone to lead Rugby Southland’s high-performance programme who has the skill set which Hewett does.
“Dave brings an extensive background in the professional rugby ranks as a player, in management, and as a coach,” Moreton said.
As a player, Hewett played 22 tests as a prop for the All Blacks from 2001 to 2003. He was part of four winning Super Rugby winning Crusaders teams, playing 71 times for the Crusaders from 1998 to 2005.
He also played 51 times for Canterbury in provincial rugby before departing in 2005 to play in Europe.
On Hewett’s return to New Zealand, he re-joined Canterbury and the Crusaders as their professional development manager and as a scrum coach.
In 2010 he was appointed as both the Crusaders forwards coach and the manager of the Canterbury provincial team.
Hewett coached the United States Eagles in their recent test matches against Germany and Georgia and is also the current New Zealand under-20 scrum coach.
He has previously been the Head Coach of the New Zealand Secondary Schools team.
This year Hewett was part of High Performance Sport New Zealand’s Coach Accelerator Programme.
Hewett is excited about the opportunity to link with Southland rugby.
“Being head Coach of the SIT Zero Fees Southland Stags is a huge honour for me. To be head coach of a team which has so much pride and history, with a great opportunity ahead of them, is what really motivates me. Helping to develop players and coaches, from within the region, is also a driver for me in taking the role.”
The plan is for Hewett to help develop his fellow coaches in the SIT Zero Fees Southland Stags set up with the hope one of them will be able to take over as the Stags Head Coach in the future.
Jason Kawau will remain as one of Hewett’s assistant coaches for 2018, while Hewett will lead the appointment of other members of his staff, including another assistant coach and the strength and conditioning coach.