Head Coach
Keith Hopkins
289 808 8506
keith.hoppy@yahoo.com

The Hornets are very happy to welcome their new head coach, Keith Hopkins, who arrived from Wales to join the Hornets prior to the start of the 2007 preseason.

Keith played for Neath Athletic Junior section and then played for and captained Neath Colts. He then transferred to Tonmawr RFC senior team and played up to Division 1 of the Welsh National League with them. Keith also captained Tonmawr RFC in 2005-06 before resigning to move to Malta. Whilst with Tonmawr Keith was lucky enough to play with National Team players from Wales, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji.

Coach Hopkins played for the Welsh Wizards 7’s team 2005-06

Keith joined the Kavallieri Rugby Club (Malta) as head coach/player in 2006. He also did some work with the Malta National ‘A’ team and Malta National Ladies teams as well as Malta National players at club level during his time there. Coach Hopkins is a level 2 qualified coach under the Welsh rugby system.

Club Captain, Peter Van Zyl, played rugby for 21 years in South Africa before moving to Canada and joining Hamilton Hornets RFC.

Peter played for one of the most storied clubs in South Africa, Pretoria Harlequins, from 1994 - 2003. He represented the club at U19 , U21 and Senior Mens' 1st team level. At the time Quins were competing in the Pretoria Premier Division.

As well as his extensive rugby knowledge, Peter holds a degree in Sports Management which certainly benefited the Hornets during Peter's 2006 tenure as Hornets head coach and captain.

Van Zyl is a level 2 qualified coach under the Canadian Rugby Union and has been coaching for three years in Canada. Peter has also been active in 3 local area schools to build rugby programs at Cathedral, Bishop Tonnos and Ancaster High schools.

Peter has been instrumental in the rise of Hamilton Hornets over the past 2 years from runners up in the Niagara Rugby Union B division in 2005 to outright winners in 2006 with an undefeated, record-breaking, season.

Peter looks forward to working with head coach Hopkins and the rest of the management staff and players to take the Hamilton Hornets to the next level over the next couple of seasons and see HHRFC promoted to the Ontario provincial division.

Nigel Thorne is another Welsh ex-pat and former Hornets Club Captain and President. As such Nigel brings a wealth of experience to the senior men's squads both on and off the field.

Nigel enjoyed some of Hamilton's best moments on the pitch in the Hornets' hay day of the late 1970s and early 80s and is enthusiastic about ushering in a new golden era of Hornets rugby.