Powell promoted to head coach role at Sharks

Neil Powell has been appointed as the new head coach of the Sharks for the remainder of the season following the departure of Sean Everitt.

Sharks coach Neil Powell during a training session at Kings Park in Durban

Neil Powell is the new head coach of the Sharks. Image: Steve Haag/Gallo Images.

Neil Powell has been appointed as the new head coach of the Sharks for the remainder of the season following the departure of Sean Everitt.

This drastic change in the Sharks coaching ranks comes after the organisation confirmed the dismissal of Everitt in the wake of the team’s humiliating 35-0 loss against Welsh side Cardiff at Kings Park on Sunday.

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It was the first time that the Sharks had been whitewashed in a competitive match in the professional era – the last time coming in 1972 against England, and CEO Eduard Coetzee insisted that action would be taken. True to his word, the action came in the form of sacking Everitt and swiftly appointing Powell to the vacant position.

“Our Director of Rugby, Neil Powell, will oversee the remainder of the United Rugby Championship campaign as well as our first foray in the Heineken Champions Cup, which kicks off on the 10th of December,” Coetzee said in a statement.

“Neil will be ably supported by the rest of our current senior coaching structure, which remains unchanged. This decision has been made in the best interests of the team moving forward.”

WHERE IS ALL BEGAN FOR POWELL

Powell is renowned for his excellent man-management and his drive for success, as was evident during his time at the Blitzboks, where he honed his coaching skills and experience.

Powell’s 15-year association with Springbok Sevens rugby came to an end when he joined the Sharks as director of rugby shortly after the Sevens World Cup in Cape Town in September this year.

The 44-year-old first joined the Blitzboks as a player back in 2007 and, shortly after retiring, was appointed as former head coach Paul Treu’s successor in 2013.

Together with sevens high-performance manager Marius Schoeman, Powell has worked to take the Blitzboks to new heights, helping players create successful careers in both the sevens and fifteens game.

During his tenure, the Blitzboks have won three World Sevens Series titles, two Commonwealth Games gold medals and an Olympic Games bronze medal.

HIS NEW CHALLENGE

Powell’s first game in charge of the Sharks will be against the Ospreys at Kings Park on Friday. Like the Sharks, the Ospreys also lost their previous match when they went down 43-26 to the Bulls at Loftus on Saturday.