Rugby Southland has announced a local coaching line up for the 2020 Mitre 10 Cup Season.

SIT Zero Fees Southland Stags head coach Dale MacLeod will be joined by Jason Kawau and newly appointed David Hall. 

MacLeod is looking forward to the knowledge and passion both Kawau and Hall will bring. 

“For us it’s about creating a pathway for not only our Stags, but our wider training squad and academy boys. Having Jase and David on board is exciting. We understand how each other works and work well together. They know our boys from previous years with Jase having coached for the last four seasons and David being Academy manager since 2017.”

The interview process involved a number of respected Southland coaches, with MacLeod setting the expectation that his full-time assistant coach and at least one part-time assistant coach be from Southland. 

“While we are about developing Southland into a competitive Mitre 10 Cup side, it’s also key to develop local coaches who can pass on their knowledge to our next generation."

Jason Kawau returns in July as attack coach in what will be his fourth season with the SIT Zero Fees Southland Stags as a coach.

Kawau played more than 50 games for Southland between 2005 and 2009, going on to play for the Highlanders and Hurricanes in Super Rugby before a stint in Japan with Kobi. 

“It’s exciting to be back under the leadership of Dale, I admire his commitment to Southland and the integrity he brings. My real passion is working with elite players, and the later season brings an opportunity for a running game with the warmer weather.”

Kawau also said the events of recent months could make for a closer competition.

“COVID-19 has no doubt made it financially difficult for other unions, whereas down here (Southland) we have always made it work with what we have, so it could be a very exciting match up this year.”

David Hall may be a new edition to the Stags coaching setup as a forward coach, but he is no stranger to the Southland rugby scene, having coached Pirates-Old Boys to the 2018 Galbraith Shield final. Hall has been involved with the New Zealand Under-20 process over the last four years so has a very good understanding of the young talent coming through. Hall started his professional career with Southland in 2002, playing his final game in 2015 with 108 Southland caps to his name. For the last four years David has been Academy Manager for the union, overseeing the development for many of the players he will now coach. 

“I am really excited and honoured to be given the opportunity to help coach the stags in 2020. Dale has done a great job getting the group together and setting a high standard and now I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting into my work with the lads.”

Dale MacLeod and David Hall are well underway with preparations and some exciting player signings, with Jason Kawau joining in July for entirety of the season.