He trained as an engineer but is now a full-time rugby coach
Who is Kevin Rouet: Ten things you should know about the Canada coach
Having made the switch from engineer to rugby coach in his late 20s, Kevin Rouet took charge of Canada just sevens months out from the 2022 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Ten things you should know about Kevin Rouet
1. Kevin Rouet was primarily a scrum-half in his playing days but he also turned out at fly-half and centre.
2. Born in Bordeaux, Rouet played at amateur level in France until he was 22.
3. He then moved to Quebec, Canada, and played in the men’s leagues there.
4. He studied mechanical engineering in France and then did a project management degree at the University of Quebec.
5. The Frenchman never planned to become a full-time coach. He was working as an engineer when he made the switch in his late 20s.
6. He has coached the women’s teams at Laval University, Rugby Quebec and Stade Bordelais.
7. He joined the Canada set-up as an assistant coach under Sandro Fiorino three years ago.
8. He took over as head coach last March aged just 35 when Rugby Canada cut its academy programme, which Fiorino was in charge of.
Interim Rugby Canada CEO Jamie Levchuk said at the time: “Sandro did have a dual role here at Rugby Canada and the majority of his role was attached to the academy in Ontario and that was going to be discontinuing.
“And then there was also obviously continual evaluation of the team and it was just felt that a change was the best option for the team.
“It was difficult timing but with Kevin having experience with the team, we felt that there was continuity there.”
9. Rouet wants his Canada team to be like Canada the country, to mix Anglo-Saxon order and French flair, to be comfortable playing multiple ways. “We want to be the best structured and unstructured team in the World Cup,” he says.
10. His back-room team for RWC 2022 included Duncan McNaughton, who worked with Exeter’s women’s team last term, sevens coach Jack Hanratty and former Canada wing Maria Gallo.
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