The Western Force have appointed former assistant Dave Wessels as head coach for the next two Super Rugby seasons.

The 33-year-old South African replaces Michael Foley. Foley was fired in June after an unsuccessful 2016 Super Rugby campaign.

Wessels has relatively little coaching experience. He began his coaching career as a defence consultant at the Stormers in 2008, and has since worked with the University of Cape Town and the Brumbies. He joined the Force in 2013.

Wessels is now the youngest head coach in the Super Rugby tournament. However, he still believes that he can help the Force improve over the next two seasons.

'In this job, it's the opposite of the Benjamin Button effect,' Wessels said. 'So you age a lot quicker than normal. So, by the end of next week, I'll be in my mid-50s, and no one will bring it up again.

'I've lived and breathed the unique challenges the Force face. I've been part of trying to overcome those challenges in the last couple of years, and I have some ideas of how we may do that going forward.'

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