Melbourne Rebels thinking big long term as coach Dave Wessels signs three-year contract extension

Melbourne Rebels coach Dave Wessels spent the off-season sweeping a broom through nearly everything at the club. Now he has signed on to build on what he has started, inking a three-year contract extension.

Dave Wessels is excited about the future of the Melbourne Rebels.

Melbourne Rebels coach Dave Wessels spent the off-season sweeping a broom through nearly everything at the Super Rugby club in a bid to set his team up for long-term success.

And the South African has now signed on to build on what he has started, inking a three-year contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2021.

The Rebels have improved year on year since Wessels took over for the 2017 season but stumbled late last season to miss out on a maiden finals berth.

Two serious off-field incidents involving players was also the catalyst for a full-scale club review.

Dave Wessels is excited about the future of the Melbourne Rebels.

Wessels drew a line in the sand for all his charges, but also had a look in the mirror at his own operations, and decided on a raft of changes.

He moved his office closer to the players’ area as part of a clubhouse renovation that opened up Rebels headquarters in the hope of giving everyone at the club a fresh start in 2019.

Wessels appointed a new captain, Wallaby Dane Haylett-Petty, and the 37-year-old coach has now put to bed speculation about him taking over the Wallabies job any time soon.

“I really believe we can be successful here. Melbourne’s a wonderful place to be able to do that,” he said.

“The city is sports mad and provides an unbelievable environment for anyone lucky enough to work in sport. As a team, we often talk about the ‘Magic of Melbourne’.

“I honestly have the best job in the world – coming to work every day with young men who want to get better and an incredibly committed team of staff who give everything to help create the environment for that to happen.”

Haylett-Petty wants his teammates to ride the wave of expectation this season confident the club is better placed than ever for success.

“This is the best we have been set up in the club’s history,” the new captain said.

Dane Haylett-Petty is expecting big things from the Rebels this year.

“I think it was a bit of a surprise to everyone how well we started last year. It was such a new group, some guys were only meeting for the first time in January. In terms of where we are now, compared to last year, it couldn’t be more different.

“We are a better club this season, and a better team this season, and everything we are do is growing on last year.

“Through my Super Rugby career it has often felt like we have had to start again each year. This year feels like we are just taking more strides on last year.”

Originally published as Melbourne Rebels thinking big long term as coach Dave Wessels signs three-year contract extension