Rugby news from Western Province:
New DHL Stormers to get a run in George:
New DHL Stormers recruits Sergeal Petersen and Raymond Rhule were both named as part of the squad to face SWD Eagles in a pre-season match George on Saturday.
DHL Stormers Head Coach Robbie Fleck has named a 32-man squad for the encounter, which will be played in four chukkas and kicks off at 15h00 at Outeniqua Park on Saturday.
In addition to the playing squad, there will be a further 13 DHL Stormers players who will travel to George in order to take part in a Fun Run at on Saturday morning.
Captain Siya Kolisi will be there with the likes of Steven Kitshoff, Wilco Louw, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Dillyn Leyds on the 5km fun run, which starts at Outeniqua Park at 08h00 on Saturday.
Petersen and Rhule will be joined by fellow Springbok Damian de Allende in the squad for the warm-up clash, along with exciting young talents such as Salmaan Moerat and Juarno Augustus.
Also included in the playing squad are five members of the DHL Western Province U21 team that won the national championship last year in Eddie Zandberg, Ruben de Villiers, Paul de Wet, Herchel Jantjies and Wikus Groenewald, along with U19 talents Christian Ambadiang, Sihle Njezula, Rikus Pretorius and David Kriel who will all be at the Western Province Rugby Institute this year.
Players who were not available for selection due to injury include Eben Etzebeth (shoulder), Jean-Luc du Plessis (groin), Dan du Plessis (shoulder), Frans Malherbe (neck), Jano Vermaak (knee), Jan de Klerk (knee), Scarra Ntubeni (hamstring), EW Viljoen (foot), Michael Kumbirai (back), Grant Hermanus (groin), Johan du Toit (knee) and Justin Phillips (rib).
Etzebeth has seen a multidisciplinary team of doctors regarding his shoulder injury and is being evaluated weekly, but is not yet fit to train and will be out for at least four months.
Jean-Luc and Dan du Plessis are both expected to be sidelined for a further eight weeks, with Jean-Luc recovering from recent groin surgery in the USA and Dan out with a shoulder injury.
Vermaak will also be out of action for a further two months with a knee injury that was seen to in the off-season, whilst Malherbe continues to recover from his neck injury and is only expected back later in the season.
Fleck said that the first pre-season game will give him a chance to give a wide range of players some game-time against a competitive SWD outfit.
“We always look forward to our pre-season trips to George and we are expecting the usual spirited opposition from the Eagles, which is just what we need after a hard pre-season.
“While we will be getting in some valuable preparation on the pitch, it is also exciting to be able to connect with the community in George through the Fun Run some of our players will take part in on Saturday morning,” he said.
DHL Stormers playing squad: Christian Ambadiang, Juarno Augustus, Jaco Coetzee, Damian de Allende, Ruben de Villiers, Paul de Wet, Stefan de Wit, Wikus Groenewald, JC Janse van Rensburg, Herschel Jantjies, Eduan Keyter, Dan Kriel, David Kriel, SP Marais, Salmaan Moerat, Dean Muir, Sihle Njezula, Caylib Oosthuizen, Sergeal Petersen, Rikus Pretorius, Raymond Rhule, Carlu Sadie, Ramone Samuels, Chad Solomon, Joshua Stander, Luke Stringer, Kobus van Dyk, Chris van Zyl, Ali Vermaak, George Whitehead, Cobus Wiese, Eddie Zandberg.
DHL Stormers to face Vodacom Bulls in Wellington:
The pre-season clash between the DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls on Saturday, February 3, will take place at Boland Stadium in Wellington.
The match was originally scheduled to be played in Los Angeles, but due to logistical issues will now be held locally in the Cape.
Whilst disappointed to miss an opportunity to grow both the game of rugby and the DHL Stormers brand in the USA, the DHL Stormers are looking forward to playing in front of their faithful supporters in Wellington, ahead of the opening game of the 2018 Vodacom Super Rugby season which will see them take on the Jaguares at DHL Newlands on February 17.
The DHL Stormers’ first warm-up game will see them face the SWD Eagles at Outeniqua Park in George, with kick-off at 15h00 on Saturday, January 20.
The match against the Vodacom Bulls in Wellington, which will kick off at 16h00 on February 3, will provide an opportunity for Head Coach Robbie Fleck’s squad to measure themselves against Vodacom Super Rugby opposition in preparation for the upcoming season.
More information regarding ticketing and details of the match in Wellington will be confirmed in due course.
Get close to your heroes at DHL Newlands Sleepover:
The DHL Newlands Sleepover on Friday, January 26 will be a unique opportunity for DHL Stormers fans to get close to their heroes.
Tickets for this special event are available from Computicket at the same price as 2017 – R695 for a parent and child between the ages of 6 and 13, while additional single tickets are R345 each.
Registration will take place in the North-West corner of DHL Newlands between 15h30 and 16h30 on Friday, with parking available in the parking garage in Boundary rd across from DHL Newlands.
The DHL Stormers will hold a training session, which is open to the media and those attending the DHL Newlands Sleepover, at 16h00.
Following the training session there will be a welcome from the MC and a group photo with players and management.
The children will then go into a coaching clinic and tag rugby matches with selected DHL Stormers players, while the parents attend a live press conference and ‘War Room’ experience, with Head coach Robbie Fleck and captain Siya Kolisi.
There will then be a signing session for the children on the field before tents are fetched from the parking garage and set up on the field by the campers.
Crown Foods will feed everyone a boerewors braai dinner at DHL Newlands, with entertainment in the stadium bar for parents and a movie screening for the children later in the evening.
Everyone attending will receive a goodie bag including a tee-shirt, snacks and various other promotional items provided by our sponsors.
After camping on the pitch, a small breakfast will be provided in the morning before everyone heads home.
Parking is provided free of charge in the parking garage near the stadium, so tents do not have to be carried very far to be set up on the pitch.
Book your tickets early as demand for this popular event is high and tickets are expected to sell quickly.
What to Bring:
Tents (max 4-man freestanding dome tent) – No pegs are allowed on the pitch
Mattress
Pillow
Sleeping Bag or Covers
Torch
Insect Repellent
Warm Clothes (Just in case)
Camping Chair (optional)
Toothbrush/ Toothpaste
We will Supply:
Boerewors roll braai dinner compliments of Crown Food
(NO drinks or liquids may be brought into the stadium, and security at the gate WILL search bags) – Beer and cooldrinks will be on sale
Entertainment areas
Toilets (no showers)
Parking:
Secure parking in the parking garage opposite the stadium. The garage will be locked for your safety from 21:00 on the Friday until 6:30 the next morning. You will not have access to your car during this time. Please do not park illegally in the street as your vehicle may be towed or fined.
Safety and Security:
DHL Newlands Rugby Stadium has 24 hour monitored CCTV. For the safety of your children, only demarcated areas of the stadium and pitch will be available for use. Please note this is a family event and underage drinking, alcohol abuse, dangerous games or antics will not be tolerated. Please obey the instructions of staff and emergency officials. Please also take cognisance of the neighbours and adhere to lights-out and quiet time rulings (23h00)
Pitch Etiquette:
DHL Newlands Rugby Stadium is one of the most exquisite grounds in world rugby. The pitch is extremely sensitive, especially during summer. Please abide by the following rules and regulations:
Pick up your rubbish and discard it in the provided bins.
DO NOT urinate on the pitch- even the smallest children! Urine changes the chemical composition of the soil and it leaves marks on the pitch and affects the growth of the grass!
NO GLASS OR DANGEROUS ARTICLES WILL BE ALLOWED ON THE PITCH WHAT SO EVER!
The entire stadium is a non-smoking venue.
Do not dig up the grass.
No pegs are to be used in the pitch (if left behind they are a danger to players).
Please note:
This event is weather permitting and may be cancelled at the discretion of the event organiser’s.
Indemnity forms must be signed prior to the event.
No pets will be allowed.
No open flames will be tolerated, including gas.
This is an experience you can’t afford to miss.
For more information, please contact Lindsay Brown at lbrown@wprugby.co.za or 021659 4600
DHL Stormers working hard in pre-season:
The DHL Stormers are working hard in training, in preparation for the 2018 Vodacom Super Rugby season.
An extended DHL Stormers squad has been training at the High Performance Centre in Bellville, in preparation for what will be another demanding campaign.
Head Coach Robbie Fleck and his management team are intent on building on what was achieved last season, which came off the back of a lot of hard work in the pre-season.
Fleck says that following a short break after the Currie Cup, the players are refreshed and ready to give their all in an effort to further raise standards in all departments.
“Last season we changed our approach in the pre-season, which stood us in good stead throughout the campaign.
“The focus is on making sure that we put the hard work in now, both physically and mentally, in order to prepare the team for what lies ahead next year,” he said.
A host of senior players have signed contract extensions with Western Province Rugby beyond the 2018 season.
With the senior Springbok and DHL Stormers trio of Siya Kolisi, Damian de Allende and Steven Kitshoff having recently signed extensions until the end of 2019, they have since been joined by 13 further players in committing to the union for the next two years.
Experienced forwards JC Janse van Rensburg, Scarra Ntubeni, Nizaam Carr, Caylib Oosthuizen, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Ali Vermaak, as well as exciting younger talents Wilco Louw and Kobus van Dyk have all committed their immediate future to the engine room at DHL Newlands.
Dillyn Leyds, Jano Vermaak, SP Marais, Craig Barry and Michal Hazner are the backline players that have signed extensions.
Of course, the likes of Springboks Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit are also all currently on contracts which run until the end of 2019.
There are also a number of current U19 and U21 players that have signed contract extensions, with World Rugby Under-20 Championship Player of the Tournament Juarno Augustus and Junior Springbok captain Ernst van Ryhn two of the young talents set to continue their careers with Western Province Rugby.
The wider training squad also includes new recruits Sergeal Petersen, Joshua Stander and Neethling Fouche.
Raymond Rhule will join training in January along with the rest of the Springboks in the squad, whilst JJ Engelbrecht will make his return to Cape Town for the Vodacom Super Rugby campaign once he has concluded his commitments with Japanese side Toyota Industries Shuttles.
Director of rugby Gert Smal said that with a talented wider squad assembled, the hard work starts now for the DHL Stormers.
“We are excited about the depth of talent that we have at our disposal with a number of senior players committing who will be able to provide valuable guidance for the talented youngsters coming through.
“It is important that we keep on moving forward in terms of our results, playing style and composure in all areas,” he said.
Western Province Rugby Group CEO, Paul Zacks, said that he cannot wait to see what this group will be able to go on to achieve in the next few years.
“This is a really exciting time for the DHL Stormers, with a strong squad and a management team that can take us forward into a new era,” he said.
President of the Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU), Mr Thelo Wakefield, wished all of the players well as they prepare for the 2018 campaign.
“We know that the players will give everything in the pre-season, in order to ensure that they are able to do the DHL Newlands Faithful proud when the 2018 Vodacom Super Rugby campaign gets underway,” he said.
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