Playing Cricket For Australia and South Africa And A Winner’s Mentality: Kepler Wessels

Caitlyn Davey • July 8, 2025

Kepler Wessels is a man with several accolades to his name. A first-class cricketer for both Australia and South Africa, commentator, umpire for the T20, first-grade coach as well as a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu jitsu. The Rebuild Health and Fitness podcast speaks to Kep and discusses how he got into the game, his career as part of the national team, his role as a coach, and the importance of setting small goals post-retirement.Kepler's introduction to cricketHaving been born in South Africa and hailing from a family of men who were predominantly involved in rugby, Kepler's main inspiration to play cricket came from some of the international tours that were taking place in the country – since, at the time, South Africa was still competing internationally. “From the time I was 5-6 years old, I really wanted to play cricket and pursued it all the way through. It’s interesting the way the country worked at the time; in the Afrikaans speaking community, no one played cricket, so it was pretty much an English game. While is why definitely needed those breaks throughs and eventually things sort of happened and I made my first-class debut at 16. It’s been an interesting journey from then on,” says Kepler. Debuting at 16 this was just the beginning. With international players coming to South Africa to coach the local talent, one individual saw Kepler's potential. He explains, “I got quite lucky because they used to get English professionals to come to South Africa for summer coaching. There we had a guy who was an overseas professional so through him I got the opportunity to play for Sussex, I played in their qualifier for a season and got offered a contract which was the beginning of coming to Australia and having an international career.”Playing for the Australian national teamDuring his cricketing career, Kepler played for both Australia and South Africa at different times. The start of his international career, however, can be credited to his involvement in the Sussex cricket team.  He says, “I went to play for Sussex and there I got a contract to play for world series cricket. South Africa at the time was in sporting isolation, so I was sent here, and I served three-and-a-half years in qualification. I then played for about five years here in Australia.”I’d just turned 21 when I came to Australia, I played for Waverley in Sydney, so I was already contracted by world series, but after about four games I made a few extra runs for Waverley and they were struggling to find an opener, so they just put me directly through. Later, they asked me if I wanted to stay and qualify in Australia and I really did so I jumped to that opportunity and got added to the Australian squad which was great for me. Playing for Australia that time really shaped my whole career,” he adds.Cricket and coaching career in South AfricaAfter playing in England and Australia, the cricketer was given an offer to come back home, both to work and play – an offer he didn’t want to pass. He shares, “I got an offer to work, and play in South Africa while they were still in their isolation period. Six years later, Nelson Mandela was released and from Robin Island in 1991, and within a week we were on a plane to India for our first international game back.” And what a come-back it was, not only for the South African team but also for Kepler who was finally back to playing for his country. Having dedicated the last countless years of his life to cricket, Kepler now makes use of your knowledge and experience to train young minds and bring South African talent to the forefront. But unlike other coaches, Kepler has a specific sort of approach that he follows and has a vision in mind that he aims to achieve each time he’s been in his coaching position.“Your role as a coach is to take what the player has and make him 25% better - that’s what I think the problem is in the sporting world right now, they’re cloning everybody to try and make them do the same thing and it just doesn’t work like that.'Another problem that we find now in coaching is that coaches who haven’t really played are trying to remain relevant by teaching things that are just outrageous. They get younger players, bluff them and these young players buy into it and this can just never be successful. My philosophy is to always keep it as simple as I can - take what the player has and try to improve what he’s got and make him successful that way.'Along with the right sort of coaching, he also makes sure to teach them a thing or two about long-term perspective. He says, “I’d rather have an obsessive approach in my players than the lazy approach. What I try to do is to create a balance and explain to them that it’s not practice that makes perfect, it’s perfect practice that makes perfect. It’s important to work on the right things for the right amount of time. I also try to give them the perspective that cricket won’t be your whole life and maybe your life will be shaped based on how successful you are and are not, but the majority of the time, cricket won’t be your life.“You need to make peace with what you’ve achieved. If you know you’ve maximised your ability and did everything you could, you need to be proud of yourself. I think if you give players this perspective, they enjoy the sport more and become more successful,” he concludes.Setting goals and post-retirement phaseRetirement is a given, regardless of your occupation, field, or position. Sportsmen, however, may have to face the retirement discussion earlier on in life as compared to others. Retirement doesn’t hit you until it becomes a reality – a statement even Kepler believes himself.“Fortunately, I retired from first-class cricket at 40, but four or five years before that I knew the day was coming. I’d figured out by then that the adrenaline rush you get from performing, winning, and doing well, you’re not going to replicate that in another field. You’ll have job satisfaction, and you’ll feel good about some things that you do but that feeling of feeling up and down won’t be there anymore, so you need to be prepared for that. I started preparing five years before for that next phase of life. Most guys don’t realise that when it’s over, it’s over,” he shares.It’s understandable that one may feel a sense of uncertainty about the future, especially post-retirement since one aspect that you spent so long focusing on has now come to an end. For this very reason, it’s super important to create small goals, and introduce yourself to habits that can keep you busy yet still make you feel alive!“I understand although it’s tough to be able to keep going in sports like jujitsu and boxing after retirement, and you can never reach the level you could as a young man or the same level of satisfaction but I do think setting smaller goals being as good as you can be at that time and striving towards that is still pretty important because if you get to that stage where you don’t want to work on anything and don’t want to improve yourself in any way, mentally and physically you go down pretty quick,” Kepler concludes. 

Previous Blogs

Why Strength Training Might Be the Missing Piece in Your Health Routine

February 16, 2026
If you live in Wynnum or Capalaba, you’re not short of fitness options. There are 24-hour gyms. Bootcamps. HIIT studios. Yoga classes. Running clubs along the waterfront. But despite more access than ever, many people still feel stuck. Tired. Plateaued. Unsure whether what they’re doing is actually working. For many adults across Brisbane’s bayside suburbs, the missing piece isn’t more cardio or more intensity. It’s structured strength training. What Strength Training Actually Does (Beyond “Toning”) Strength training isn’t just about lifting heavy weights or looking muscular. It is one of the most well-supported interventions in exercise science for improving: • Lean muscle mass • Bone density • Insulin sensitivity • Resting metabolic rate • Functional capacity • Injury resilience When you lift weights progressively, your body adapts. Muscle fibres increase in size. Neural drive improves. Connective tissue strengthens. Bone responds to load. This isn’t aesthetic. It’s physiological. For adults in their 30s, 40s and 50s — especially busy professionals and parents — maintaining and building muscle becomes increasingly important. From around age 30 onwards, we gradually lose muscle mass if we don’t train against resistance. Strength training slows — and can even reverse — that decline. Why Many People Plateau in Traditional Gyms Joining a gym in Wynnum or Capalaba is easy. Progress is harder. Many people follow random workouts. They jump between machines. They try classes without a long-term plan. They train hard, but without structure. The body adapts quickly to repeated stimulus. If load, volume or intensity don’t increase over time, adaptation stalls. This principle is called progressive overload — and it is fundamental to strength development. Without it, workouts feel hard but don’t necessarily lead to measurable progress. That’s why tracking lifts, planning training blocks, and adjusting volume matter. Effort is important. Structure is essential. Strength vs “Burning Calories” A common goal across the Wynnum and Capalaba community is fat loss. Many people default to high-intensity cardio to “burn more calories”. While cardiovascular training improves heart health and work capacity, resistance training changes body composition in a different way. Muscle tissue is metabolically active. The more lean mass you maintain, the more energy your body requires at rest. Strength training also improves glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity, which influences how your body uses carbohydrates. In simple terms: Cardio burns calories during the session. Strength training improves how your body uses energy long term. The most effective approach often combines both — but strength should not be overlooked. The Importance of Coaching in Strength Training Not all training environments are equal. There is a difference between access to equipment and access to coaching. Research in motor learning consistently shows that technique improves faster and more safely when feedback is specific and timely. Good coaching reduces injury risk, improves force production and builds confidence under load. For beginners, this means learning correct movement patterns. For experienced lifters, this means refining efficiency and progressing safely. In both Wynnum and Capalaba, more people are moving away from “do it yourself” gym models and towards coached environments that prioritise progression and accountability. Because consistency — not intensity — predicts long-term success. Strength Training for Real Life The real benefit of strength training isn’t what happens in the gym. It’s what happens outside it. Carrying children. Lifting groceries. Walking the stairs without fatigue. Reducing back pain. Improving posture after long desk hours. Strength improves quality of life. For people living and working in Brisbane’s bayside suburbs — balancing work, school runs and community commitments — training needs to support life, not compete with it. Two to four well-programmed sessions per week is enough to create significant improvements in strength and body composition when done consistently. You do not need to train every day. You need to train intelligently. What To Look For in a Strength Training Gym in Wynnum or Capalaba If you’re considering starting strength training locally, look for: • Structured programming rather than random workouts • Progressive overload built into sessions • Coaches who adjust for injury, mobility and experience • A community that supports consistency • A clear pathway for beginners Strength training should feel challenging — but sustainable. It should build confidence, not intimidation. A Quiet Shift in Fitness Across Wynnum and Capalaba, there is a noticeable shift. People are moving away from extreme short-term “transformations” and towards long-term strength development. They want: Energy that lasts. Bodies that feel capable. Training that fits into real life. Strength training isn’t a trend. It is one of the most researched, effective and sustainable forms of exercise available. If you’ve tried everything else and still feel stuck, it might not be motivation you’re missing. It might be structure. And structure changes everything.

Join Rebuild Capalaba's Free Week Feb 2-8

January 19, 2026
If you’ve been thinking about getting back into training — or starting properly — this is your chance. From February 2–8 , you can train free for a full week at Rebuild Capalaba with unlimited access to our group sessions. No pressure. No judgement. No gimmicks. Just well-coached training, intelligent programming, and a community built around progress — not perfection. What Free Week Includes • Unlimited group training for 7 days • Coaching-led strength, conditioning, and cardio sessions • Scaled options to suit all experience levels • A supportive, ego-free training environment Whether you’re returning after a break, testing something new, or simply curious about what training should feel like — Free Week lets you experience it properly, without committing upfront. Free Week runs Feb 2–8. Spots are limited. Book your week and see how it fits into your life.

Join Rebuild Wynnum's Taster Day

November 24, 2025
Try a Session. Meet the Coaches. See What You’re Capable Of If you’ve been thinking about starting, restarting, or finding a gym that actually supports you — Taster Day is your opportunity. This is a free, one-day event designed for real people. No pressure. No expectations. Just great coaching, a welcoming community, and a chance to see whether Rebuild is the right fit for you. December 6, 7:30am at Rebuild Health and Fitness - 10 North Road Wynnum West. This session is FREE for people to join.
More Posts