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Meet the Coaches
Abner Ixtupe
Hector Rodriguez
Abner Ixtupe
Coach Abner brings a wealth of hands-on experience to the Rebels, having dedicated over a decade to playing rugby himself. With a focus on youth development, he has coached for the Rebels U8 and U10 teams and measures his success by the growth he sees in his players. For Abner, rugby is all about camaraderie, discipline, and respect. His coaching philosophy centers on creating an environment where players improve, have fun, and experience the unique bonds that rugby builds.
Brant Womack
Hector Rodriguez
Abner Ixtupe
Coach Brant Womack brings a wealth of coaching experience to the Rebels, having coached youth football for over four years. Though he didn’t play rugby himself, Brant has been an influential Head Coach for the Rebels' U12 teams for the past two years, fostering a spirit of teamwork and personal growth. For Brant, success as a coach is about more than just wins—it's about players developing on and off the field, learning values that will serve them for life. He sees rugby culture as a family where respect, trust, and camaraderie reign supreme, creating an environment where players thrive and build lasting connections.
Hector Rodriguez
Hector Rodriguez
Hector Rodriguez
Coach Hector is a player favorite and he has 3 boys in the Rebels program. As a physical person himself playing semi pro football, his players echo this in their Rugby play. Coach Hector has extensive experience coaching youth athletes and instills Rugby culture in the teams that he coaches.
Yiovanny Cuevas
Yiovanny Cuevas
Hector Rodriguez
Yiovanny has played with the Rebels for 4 years and is coaching in his first season before he goes off to serve in the military. Yiovanny was a physical player for the Rebels and hopes to help younger Rebels with their attitude towards contact and tackling technique. Yiovanny believes in the Rugby culture where the team is like family and respect is given and received with opponents.
Mark Bryant
Yiovanny Cuevas
Lloyd Bernard
Drawing on his background in football, track, and basketball, Coach Mark brings a dynamic perspective to rugby. He views rugby culture as one of friendship, brotherhood, hard work, and fair play. For Coach Mark, success is about guiding his players in both personal growth and athletic skills, fostering a lifelong love for the sport.
Lloyd Bernard
Yiovanny Cuevas
Lloyd Bernard
Coach Lloyd Bernard is from South Africa where he started playing Rugby at the age of 12 through highschool and the University of Johannesburg. When Coach Lloyd moved to the US, he played for the Claremont colleges and made the Southern California griffons’ side. Coach Lloyd measures success in player and team development. Like anybody he enjoys winning, but he prefers players to continue playing with a better understanding of the game, increased skill set and better mindset. He see’s Rugby as a game that extends beyond the white lines with an emphasis on respect camaraderie and tradition.
Mate Kvirikashvili
Mate Kvirikashvili
Mate Kvirikashvili
Coach Mate brings elite experience as a former captain of Kutztown University Men’s Rugby and a player in D1 college and U18 in Georgia. His coaching approach focuses on individual player development, measuring success by the growth he sees in each athlete. For Mate, respect is the cornerstone of rugby culture—a value he instills in his players alongside discipline and teamwork.
James Imel
Jackie Bayona
Jackie Bayona
With an extensive background that includes youth wrestling, flag football, tackle football, and girls' club volleyball, James has been with the Rebels since 2019, coaching U12s and U14s (15s and 7s), as well as U16s. This year marks his first season coaching high school girls. Though he has not played on an organized rugby team, his coaching philosophy centers on players continuing their rugby journey long after his guidance. James appreciates rugby’s unique emphasis on honor, respect, and sportsmanship, particularly in moments when opposing teams come together post-match to celebrate each other’s efforts.
Jackie Bayona
Jackie Bayona
Jackie Bayona
Embarking on her first year of coaching Rugby, Jackie brings boundless enthusiasm and a fresh perspective. Also known as JacJac, Jackie compete on a very high level in flag football winning both National and International titles. With a strong belief in sportsmanship, honor, and respect, Jackie aims to develop players who value these principles both on and off the field.
Cole Seanoa
Jackie Bayona
Brett Seanoa
Starting his rugby journey at age 11 and being an original member of the LA U10s and U12s, Cole’s experience runs deep. He finds fulfillment in witnessing players’ determination and their drive to improve. For Cole, rugby culture is about the brotherhood and camaraderie formed through competition, where teams battle fiercely but unite in mutual respect.
Brett Seanoa
Brett Seanoa
Brett’s diverse coaching background includes flag football, baseball, soccer, and swim team over multiple seasons, demonstrating his well-rounded coaching perspective. Although he never played rugby himself, growing up in a rugby family instilled a deep understanding of the sport. Brett measures success by the team’s growth, learning, and respect — foundational values of rugby culture.
Alex Rodrigo
Coach Alex Rodrigo is in his third season of coaching Rugby (U14 and u16) and is now in his first year coaching high school. He has a wealth of experience coaching youth/ high school football for 8 years and basketball for 3 years. Alex got involved along with his son last year and hope to be part of the growth of the sport here in Southern California. Coach Alex sees success as a coach in the development of his players and the translation of those light bulb moments in wins on the field. Alex’s thoughts on Rugby culture “As a player/coach in multiple sports, family is always spoken about but hardly ever felt. Rugby not only feels like family on our own team but even on the other side of pitch. Only sport I seen where we beat on each other for an hour & then after share a meal together. Only sport when a team is short and instead of handing out a loss, we send players over.”
Kris Anderson
Kris played at Syracuse University from 1988-1991. He then was player and captain with the Barracks Rangers, New York 1993-1998. Select 7’s side for New York 1998. Kris then coached youth Rugby (U12 Boys, U14 Boys, U16 Boys, U14 Girls) from 2016-2018 with an outstanding winning record.
David Richardson
David Richardson
David Richardson
David has a very successful carrier in both playing scrumhalf and coaching at a high level. He comes England whereupon he coached at the highest levels.
Arthur Jennings
David Richardson
David Richardson
AJ is a former All Black with an extensive background in rugby, youth sports and charities. He has toured the world both playing and coaching.
Coaches Qualifications
Requirements
- Pass Background Check
- USA Rugby member
- Minimum level 100 coaching courses on fundamentals of Rugby
- Attend and Pass Rebels Coaching Clinic
- Olympic Safe Sport Certified
- Concussion Certified
- First Aid and CPR certified
- Minimum 1 year coaching experience
