Kevin Foote (rugby union)

Kevin Foote
Birth nameKevin Foote
Date of birth (1979-03-22) 22 March 1979 (age 45)
Place of birthJohannesburg, South Africa
Rugby union career
Position(s) Interim head coach of Melbourne Rebels
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2005 Sunshine Coast Stingrays ()
2005–2007 UCT Ikey Tigers ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2001 Natal Wildebeest ()
2005 SWD Eagles 3 (0)
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2002–2004 South Africa 7s 8
Coaching career
Years Team
2014, 2017 Perth Spirit
2011–2013 UCT Ikey Tigers
2021–present Melbourne Rebels (interim)

Kevin Foote (born 22 March 1979) is a South African professional rugby union football coach, and a former player for the South African sevens national team. He is currently based in Australia and is currently serving as the interim head coach of the Melbourne Rebels, after previously serving as their defence coach.

Family and early life

Foote was born in Johannesburg, South Africa,[1] where he attended the King Edward VII School. He began studying at Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg before transferring to Stellenbosch University in 1999.[2]

Rugby career

Foote played for the Natal Wildebeest in the Vodacom Cup in 2001.[2] He won 43 caps for the South African sevens team between 2002 and 2004, and captained the team.[1] He played in eight IRB Sevens World Series tournaments during the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons. In 2005, Foote had a brief stint with the Sunshine Coast Stingrays club in Queensland, Australia,[1] before he returned to Cape Town to play for UCT (Ikeys), captaining the Ikeys team in the Western Province Super League from 2005 until 2007. After suffering a bad leg break, he retired from playing rugby and set his sights on coaching.[2]

Coaching

Foote was an assistant coach at Ikeys from 2008 to 2010.[3] He was promoted to head coach in 2011, guiding Ikeys to their first Varsity Cup title. Foote moved to Australia as a defensive consultant to the Western Force in 2013, and joined the Force full-time as the backs coach for the 2014 Super Rugby season.[3] He was appointed, alongside David Wessels, as co-head coach of the Perth Spirit for the inaugural season of Australia's National Rugby Championship in 2014.[4] After a two season gap, Foote returned to the head coach role for Perth Spirit in 2017.[5]

In May 2021, Foote was named interim head coach of the Melbourne Rebels after the departure of David Wessels.[6][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Hubbard, Kester (29 April 2005). "Stingrays recruit aiming at Super 14". Sunshine Coast Daily. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Nell, Stephen (15 April 2014). "UCT coach: I want Bok job". Sport 24. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Coaching Staff". WA Rugby. 2014. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  4. ^ "Spirit unveils coaching squad for Buildcorp NRC" (Press release). RugbyWA. 5 August 2014. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Kevin Foote appointed Road Safety Perth Spirit head coach". RugbyWA. 2 August 2017. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Kevin Foote takes over as Melbourne Rebels head coach for the Super Rugby trans-Tasman season". Wide World of Sports. Nine Network. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  7. ^ Williamson, Nathan. "Rebels confirm major coaching overhaul for Super Rugby Trans-Tasman". Rugby.com.au. Retrieved 11 May 2021.