Advertisement

Dubai Exiles hope Jacques Benade will build on Jan Venter’s good work

Dubai Exiles hope Jacques Benade will build on Jan Venter’s good work

Dubai Exiles chairman Mike Wolff has praised the impact outgoing head coach Jan Venter has had on the club in his three years in charge.

- UAE: Coach Kotze confident of sustainable Union future
- EXCLUSIVE - Mike Brown: Fearless full-back dreaming of 'special' RWC
- UAE: Ali Thompson resigns as Abu Dhabi Saracens head coach

Venter was replaced as director of rugby by fellow South African Jacques Benade earlier this week, the former Emerging Springboks captain to officially take the reins at Exiles on July 1.

Benade, who played as a fly-half for Natal Sharks and the Blue Bulls, as well as Treviso, will arrive in the UAE after a number of years coaching in Northern Ireland.

Venter will remain at the club as commercial director and Wolff hopes the new man can take on his compatriot’s mantle of returning Exiles to their glory days.

“Jan Venter has made a huge contribution to this club and is someone I rate very highly as a colleague and as a rugby person. He’s someone I call a friend,” said Wolff.

“We used to be a club that dominated UAE rugby, we were very successful. The planning wasn’t what it should have been and before Jan came along there was a yawning gap for about two or three years.

“There were eight players at his first training session three years ago but he has since attracted some very good talent to the club.

“He is a real rugby person who has introduced things like respect, punctuality, a dress code and got the club back to basics.

“We’re now a very young side with an average age of 23/24 and we’re a very exciting side. Jacques’ arrival is a serious indicator of where we want to go.

“Jan oversaw the revival of the men’s section and hopefully Jacques can carry that on.”

During his time in Northern Ireland, Benade was director of rugby at Dromore High School in County Down, spent three years in the same role at Ballymena RFC and enjoyed two stints with All Ireland League Division One club Malone, one of the province’s oldest and most prestigious clubs.

Wolff, chairman of Exiles, who are the Middle East’s oldest rugby club, said he always knew Venter would be leaving at the end of this season and had been making enquiries for months, which had included discussions with some Exiles players who played under


Related Links