Rod Kafer

{{short description|Australian rugby union player}}

{{COI|date=October 2019}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}

{{Use Australian English|date=July 2011}}

{{Infobox rugby biography

|name = Rod Kafer

|image =

|caption =

|birth_name = Rodney Bruce Kafer

|birth_place = Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

|death_date =

|death_place =

|height = {{height|m=1.76}}

|weight = {{convert|101|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

|ru_position = Centre
Flyhalf

|amatyears1 =

|amatteam1 =

|ru_amupdate =

|repteam1 = {{nrut|Australia}}

|repyears1 = 1999–2000

|repcaps1 = 12

|reppoints1 = 5

|ru_ntupdate =

|years1 = 2001–03

|clubs1 = Leicester Tigers

|apps1 = 34

|points1 = 30

|ru_clubupdate =

|super1 = Brumbies

|superyears1 = 1996–2001

|superapps1 = 37

|superpoints1 = 50

|ru_currentclub =

|super14update =

|ru_province1 = ACT and Southern NSW

|ru_provinceyears1 = 1991–2001

|ru_provinceapps1 = 89

|ru_provincepoints1 = 59

|ru_provinceupdate =

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|rl_position =

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|occupation = Wallabies and Brumbies rugby player, Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director

|family =

|spouse = Amanda

|children = 3

|relatives =

|school = Canberra Grammar School

|university =

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1971|06|25|df=yes}}

}}

Rodney B. Kafer (born 25 June 1971) is a retired rugby union player for the ACT Brumbies and the Australian Wallabies. He is remembered by Brumbies fans for kicking a drop-goal in the final minute in a 2001 game against the Cats giving the Brumbies a one-point win. He now works for Fox Sports as a rugby commentator and has a weekly segment on the show Rugby HQ called "Fox Field".

He attended Canberra Grammar School in his youth. At the age of 15 he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.[https://archive.today/20130411182232/http://www.runsweet.com/Rugby.html Run sweet account of Kafer's diabetes (google cache)]

Kafer was the first player to have received winners medals from the major Southern and Northern Hemisphere rugby tournaments, the Super 12 with the ACT Brumbies in 2001 and the Heineken Cup with the Leicester Tigers in 2002.{{cite news

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/european/2008245.stm

|title=Tigers retain European Cup

|publisher=BBC

|date=25 May 2002 |accessdate=7 September 2014}}

Kafer moved to the northern hemisphere in 2001 and spent two years playing for the Leicester Tigers before signing as player coach for Saracens F.C. However, when Buck Shelford was sacked as head coach, Kafer was appointed in his place and gave up playing.{{cite web|url=https://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=82|title=Saracens appoint Kafer as head coach|date=8 August 2003|publisher=Saracens F.C.|accessdate=2008-12-16|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615134415/http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=82|archivedate=15 June 2011}}{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2392871/Kafer-quits-faltering-Saracens.html|title=Kafer quits Saracens|date=14 December 2004|newspaper=The Telegraph|location=London|accessdate=2008-12-16}}

In addition to his commentating commitments with Fox Sports Rugby, Kafer previously owned a telecommunications company and sold it in 2014 and now works in the Australian Rugby Union in a high performance role. {{citation needed|date=September 2017}}