John Dobson says that Stormers aren’t in the business of signing marquee players despite the confirmed arrivals of heavyweights Siya Kolisi and Cheslin Kolbe.
The two double Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks stars return to their old stomping ground next season, along with world-class tighthead prop Wilco Louw. While all three new additions are massive coups, Dobson explains that sacrifices and circumstances have been made to make their deals possible.
Dobson and the Stormers have set the lofty ambition to transform the club into a powerhouse with the ultimate goal of winning both the United Rugby Championship and the Investec Champions Cup by 2029, with recruitment obviously playing a massive factor in realising those goals.
“Siya Kolisi has earned the right to decide where he wants to finish his career”
The director of rugby states that while Kolbe fits the Project 2029 bill, Springboks skipper Kolisi’s situation is different. Still, the two global stars won’t be breaking the Stormers’ bank, according to Dobson, who again emphasised the financial sacrifices the pair have made in order to return to the Mother City.
“Obviously, there are some circumstances around the deal with Siya, with him wanting to be around his family, but I think we’d all agree he has earned the right to decide where he wants to finish his career,” Dobson said in the build-up to the Stormers’ United Rugby Championship quarter-final against Cardiff.
“Siya and Cheslin are sons of the Stormers, and Siya has made it very palatable for us; it’s not going to bankrupt us, and the same with Cheslin.
“These guys are iconic; they aren’t guys that come and say, ‘Listen, I want to earn what I’m earning in Japan, and that’s the reason I want to come back’. No, no, these are guys who’ve made sacrifices, and I don’t think we could have two better sons.
“We do want to stay disciplined around Project 2029. I’m aware that’s probably beyond Siya, but what he’s done for this country, I think he’s earned the right with the sacrifices he’s making to decide where to end his career.”
The Stormers have two clear examples of just how impactful experienced heads can be, with Brok Harris and Deon Fourie playing pivotal roles in the side’s 2022 URC title success. Not only were they key members in the matchday 23, but they also aided the development of the young squad members, and Dobson believes that Kolbe and Kolisi will be no different.
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Cheslin Kolbe pushes Stormers to Springboks limit
While the pair are marquee signings, the DoR states that the club has reached its limit of big-name Springboks.
“Cheslin will play in Project 29, and to be honest, that’s probably our limit. We had a fantastic experience with Brok and Deon, who helped change the culture of this team so much, and these two will as well, but I think that’s probably our limit,” he added.
Furthermore, he detailed the balancing act of having the right number of Springboks regulars due to the amount of time they spend on international duty and having those star names on the teamsheet that put bums in seats at the ground.
“We look at all the other team franchises, and we’ve always probably had fewer Springboks than the Sharks and the Bulls over the last few years, and I think we’re heading to a tricky phase in South African rugby where you don’t want to have too many Springboks if you haven’t got them for too many games,” he explained.
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“We want the local ecosystem to be really strong. So it’s a balancing act between having marquee players who people want to come and watch excite the people, which I think these two definitely fall in the category of, versus having a team that’s robust when the Springboks play.
“We know the Springboks generate a lot of money for South African rugby and the whole ecosystem, but you don’t want the ecosystem to sort of crumble as well; it’s a very fine balancing act. So it’s definitely not a model of massive acquisitions. These are two sons of the Cape who are making a reasonable sort of sacrifice to come back here, but that’s the limit, the rest is around the growth and the retention of what we’ve currently got.”
While the three big signings will certainly excite the Stormers’ faithful, along with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s commitment through to 2029, the club has announced less glamorous but no less important re-signings of Andre-Hugo Venter, Jurie Matthee, and Paul de Villiers to that date too.
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