The Stormers’ conviction is deep-rooted. Despite a season in which their squad depth had invited much scrutiny, their management believes their recruitment — unlike that of the big-spending Bulls and the Sharks — will remain embedded in “local is lekker”.
Johan le Roux, who became Stormers CEO after his Red Disa Consortium took a controlling share in the franchise, has remained steadfast the team will go places on the toil of the sons of the soil.
Only problem is, rugby is a cut-throat business, and as this season has illustrated amid a crippling injury crisis, the sons have some growing up to do. “Our depth will build with experience,” said Le Roux, who is advocating a rationalised retention policy on top of robust grassroots development.
“We need to keep the squad together for a couple of years so that all these guys who are 50-cap players become 100-cap players. That’s when you start challenging teams like Leinster. The path we have chosen is not to buy our way into that but to develop with youngsters and keep them together.”
A team that ages together
Le Roux wants the squad to age together. “It’s not about assembling a squad of superstars. We will do that in specific positions where necessary. It is definitely not the rugby philosophy in the Western Cape.”
Aware that their culture and brand identity will help bridge the gap between those who occupy the field and the stands, the Stormers will continue to develop from within.
The Red Disa Consortium has been unapologetic of the need to stay connected to the team’s roots. In fact, they too sat among the masses not too long ago. “It is the logical starting point for any franchise that has a strong school and club structure,” argued Le Roux in relation to their build-from-within policy.
“If you have those players coming through your structures into your professional fold it makes sense. I think the challenge is retaining those guys. We will face the same challenges as the Lions once those players are noticed on the national stage. It is one thing to contract them as juniors, quite another when they are in their prime, when those northern hemisphere teams come knocking.”
The Lions, however, have a much tougher time holding on to their players.
Injury bogey
It, of course, hasn’t helped the Stormers’ cause that at various stages this season, Damian Willemse, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Frans Malherbe, Steven Kitshoff, Deon Fourie, Salmaan Moerat and Evan Roos, among others, have had to yield to injury.
“Our starting team is good enough but all teams have to deal with injuries. It just feels like we’ve been unlucky in specific positions,” Le Roux said about flyhalf and fullback, where Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Willemse would likely have left their mark.
The tightrope of balancing resources in the Champions Cup and the United Rugby Championship (URC) has also tripped up the Stormers.
Le Roux, however, makes the point that they are not that far off where they usually find themselves in the URC. After six games, they had made their second best start in that competition, but they slipped back to 12th after their away defeat to Leinster. “I know it doesn’t feel like it. There are enough games left to make a strong finish.”
Though they suffered home defeats to Glasgow Warriors in the URC in Stellenbosch and Toulon in the Champions Cup in Gqeberha, Le Roux happily reminds that the Stormers are unbeaten at Cape Town Stadium.
Aiming higher
Turning Cape Town Stadium into a fortress in their remaining games will help them get back into the top eight, while a few wins on the road could see them aim even higher.
Their clashes with the Lions and Bulls on the Highveld will be in their crosshairs later this month. They also have tour fixtures against Scarlets and Ulster before a home run of matches against Connacht, Benetton, the Dragons and Cardiff.
First, however, they clash with the Bulls in Cape Town next weekend. Le Roux is hoping the team can deliver a performance worthy of the anticipated sellout crowd. A win over the Bulls, Le Roux hopes, will start a snowball for the remainder of their league programme, especially at home.
“It looks like a sellout and that’s the second one of the season. This is massive for us. Fans are getting behind the team in unprecedented numbers. And this is what will allow us, over time, to retain a squad that can challenge in any competition. As an organisation we are making massive strides forward, and this will translate to on-field success.”
The Stormers, or rather Western Province, are still under administration and may have no vote at SA Rugby level but they are desperate to still be heard in this season’s URC.
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