The ACT Brumbies Next Gen campaign has been tested early this month, with competitive outings against the Queensland Reds (45-31) and Western Force (32-19) — but the biggest coup has come off the field, with former Brumbies hooker and Canberra local Robbie Abel returning to the program to guide the next generation.
Abel has returned to the Capital to lead the Next Gen team as Head Coach, working in tandem with Head of Elite Pathways, Dan Hawke. It is a strategic appointment that injects genuine international pedigree and technical expertise into the Brumbies’ pathway system. It also reinforces the club’s commitment to producing homegrown talent ready for higher honours, including vying for Australian U20 selection.
Abel’s rugby dossier is as gritty as it is impressive. A Griffith boy who boarded at St Edmund’s College, the burly hooker cut his teeth in the local academy before embarking on a career that spanned the globe.
A 36-cap Brumby who also represented the Rebels, Waratahs, and Auckland in the New Zealand NPC competition, his resume also boasts a prestigious selection for the Māori All Blacks.
For Abel, the opportunity to walk back through the doors at Brumbies HQ was one he couldn’t turn down, crediting the culture set by the top brass.
“The whole organisation has been nothing but welcoming. Bernie [Brumbies Head Coach Stephen Larkham] has always been incredible about welcoming the 'old boys' back into the fold,” Abel said.
“It’s pretty much been an open door from the start, which I've really appreciated. Realistically, I'd be the ball boy if that's what it took to be in the room, just to be around and contribute.”
“The fact that I'm lucky enough to get some time on the grass with a group of these young, talented boys has been a huge blessing.”
After falling into coaching when COVID-19 disrupted his Auckland playing season, Abel took his talents to the United States. He rose rapidly through the ranks of the Utah Warriors in the Major League Rugby competition, serving as Assistant Coach during the team’s dominant 2025 regular season. He was subsequently named Head Coach for the 2026 campaign, before the franchise ultimately folded.
Clearly destined for higher coaching honours, he was quickly snapped up as an Assistant Coach for the Seattle Seawolves. Before he wraps up his season in the capital, Abel wants to maximise his impact on the next wave of Brumbies talent and prepare them for the rigours of professional rugby.
“The way I look at it is I just want anyone I coach to get the most out of their rugby career as they can,” Abel explained.
“Whatever they want to get out of the game, I want to be able to give boys the tools to be able to achieve it."
“You don't have to come from a certain place; you don't have to go to a fancy school. You can make a career out of rugby.”
Abel will look to rally his troops for a final hit-out when the Brumbies Next Gen side clashes with the NSW Waratahs Next Gen team on Sunday, 22 February at Eric Tweedale Stadium, kick-off at 2:05pm.
