The Stormers are the toast of Cape Town again this season after reaching the semi-finals of the United Rugby Championship.
And they did it in some style, outclassing their old foes the Bulls – it’s becoming a habit now, isn’t it? – on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
The magnificent Cape Town Stadium, incidentally, set a competition attendance record of more than 44000 for a non-final match, as supporters savoured the home team’s sixth win in a row.
For now, all is well in Cape rugby. Just two seasons ago, what a very different story it was. The Stormers were trophy-less and homeless after a R112 million deal with Flyt Property in 2020 for the redevelopment of Newlands fell through.
Western Province Rugby was deep in debt, with Dream World (Flyt’s parent company) filing a lawsuit against them in 2021 for R388m in damages.
That year, six WP Rugby board directors resigned or were removed.
The uncertainty at the union undoubtedly contributed to an exodus of Springbok stars including captain Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Dillyn Leyds, Bongi Mbonambi and Pieter-Steph du Toit.
Amid the upheaval, WP also missed out on a lucrative deal with MVM Holdings, an international investment consortium, who eventually took their dollars up the coast and bought a majority stake in the Sharks.
Former WP president Zelt Marais was suspended in 2021 and Saru stepped in to take over the administration of the union.
Then the turnaround.
Credit must go to Stormers coach John Dobson, who not only shielded the players from the off-field dramas, but managed to build a winning team and culture on the field – with a budget far lower than the cash-flush Durban and Pretoria franchises.
Dobson is on a mission to make Cape rugby fans smile and is determined to deliver on that promise after signing a new four-year contract earlier this year; he insists he won’t leave the union even if the Boks come calling.
The coach also revealed after Saturday’s win that a new equity deal will be announced soon, which will change how WP does its funding.
We wish the Stormers well in their semi-final against Connacht this weekend. Bring that URC trophy home again, boys!
* Taariq Halim, Editor of the Cape Argus newspaper.
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