ABOUT DAVE
From humble beginnings playing for Putaruru High School 1st XV and Waikato age-grade representative rugby, I took a trip across the ditch as a youngster and wound up playing for various Australian clubs before captaining Northern Territory for a few years. I'm something of a rugby nomad having travelled to Canada, USA, Australia and Singapore to play rugby in a pre-professional era.
My coaching career started as a player-coach in Darwin for the newly formed DIT Pirates, now University Pirates Club before returning to Canada and the USA for club coaching roles. In the amateur days this meant working a variety of other jobs too - from swimming pool building to logging to floor laying!
My coaching roles have taken me from the deserts of Northern Territory to the Metropolis of Hong Kong to small dusty settlements in Western Argentina, the foothills of the Andes, the Savannahs of South Africa and even the icy wastelands of Siberia.
I developed a partnership with Barry Honan in Australia - our software company called Digisport produced coaching resources for various sports. Then I headed back to New Zealand to take up a coaching role for the International Rugby Academy (IRANZ) and produce coaching resources for NZRU.
Since then I've lived through 3 Irish winters in Galway coaching with Pat Lam at Connacht - it's safe to say our unexpected Pro 12 victory in 2016 was a highlight of my rugby life. I came back to NZ again in 2017 to take up an assistant coaching role with the Auckland Blues.
A few years based back in Palmerston North, and working with IRANZ and the Rugby Site to further the development of both players and coaches was an interesting time. Helping out with Fielding High School 1stXV when they won the Central North Island division was a real pleasure. Covid forced us all to rethink our methods so I've been developing more online resources and webinars -hoping to reach out to help you even if you can't travel to me or me to you.
I have over 30 years experience in player skill development and coach education. I'm so lucky and grateful to have worked with some of the best international players and coaches in the world, and in all corners of the globe. What a ride!
Having recently moved to Mapua in the Tasman district I look forward to being involved in the rugby community here.
Still looking for that one last big job to round off a very fortunate career that has had me cross paths with some truly wonderful characters. Stay tuned!
Recent Professional Roles:
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Assistant Coach/Skills Coach, Blues Super Rugby, (2016-2018)
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Assistant Coach/Skills Coach, Connacht Rugby Pro12, (2013-2016)
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International Rugby Academy Skills Coach and Course Facilitator, (2000-2020)
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