The Stormers identity is complete. The traditional Blue and White hoops were reinforced at the DHL Stadium but the Men in Black are back for the road trips in the United Rugby Championship and the Investec Champions Cup.

The Stormers launched their 2026/27 season at DHL Stadium, their home, and on Wednesday night it was everything a home should be. It buzzed. It had fireworks and lots of love.

Adidas delivered BIG TIME for the Stormers.

The traditional blue-and-white hooped home jersey looks even more impressive than it did a year ago, when the club’s owners, Cape Town’s understated but celebrated Le Roux family, relaunched the Stormers by putting the future front and centre without losing anything traditional about the past.

Stormers No 8 Evan Roos, born a year after the famed 1999 Men in Black Stormers of Bob Skinstad, Breyton Paulse and Percy Montgomery, lauded the black away strip.

Roos grew up knowing all about the Men in Black, an identity created 27 years ago. He said he was privileged to be among the players bringing it back to life.

Paulse was at DHL Stadium on Wednesday night, dressed in the same black he wore as a player in 1999. He looked as good in it as he did all those years ago.

The launch was spectacular in its clarity of identity.

John Dobson is the Stormers in everything he says and does. Dobbo detailed the season’s plans, while Johan le Roux, the CEO and representative of the Le Roux family ownership, emphasised Project 2029: investing in the best schoolboy talent and bringing home the very best World Cup-winning Springboks.

Only the best.

Wilco Louw, Cheslin Kolbe and Siya Kolisi will wear the Stormers’ blue and white and black this season.

Le Roux did not need to say anything more than remind the audience who the Stormers had brought home and who they had signed from school.

Wednesday’s launch was about the players, coaches, assistants, management and staff across the Stormers, the Stormers XXIII and the Stormers Bolts.

Le Roux has a particular affinity for the Bolts because they are his first-year intake on the path to 2029 and beyond.

Leontine De Sutter, the Stormers’ Chief Commercial Officer, spoke passionately about the club, its members and its unconditional commitment to its supporters. De Sutter has been an incredible asset to the Stormers.

Dobbo concluded the night with a presentation to an audience that included the media and the club’s sponsors.

He shared the season’s message. With Dobbo, that message will always include Cape Town and its people.

Former Stormers and Springbok prop Eddie Andrews, the Deputy Mayor of Cape Town, spoke of the partnership between the city, the province and the Stormers. He spoke of the love between the two partners and the role of rugby and the Stormers in this city and province.

Paulse raved about the return of Kolisi, Louw and Kolbe and the fact that the province’s best schoolboys are in the Stormers system, with particular emphasis on Yaqeen Ahmed, Riley Norton and Markus Muller.

Ahmed made his Stormers debut against the All Blacks on 7 August. This time last year, he was playing for Wynberg Boys’ High. Norton was playing for Paul Roos and Muller was the standout at Paarl Gim.

Seabelo Senatla paraded the away kit and spoke with enthusiasm about Kolbe’s return.

Winging it with two Stormers Icons

Ruhan Nel was confirmed as Stormers captain and drew the biggest applause on a night filled with applause. He is a gem.

Neethling Fouché, as host, was entertaining and as comfortable as he is wearing the No 3 jersey.

These are special times for the most-supported team in the URC and South Africa. They were made even more special by confirmation that the Le Roux family, as majority shareholder, and the Van der Veen family, own the Stormers.

Black is back baby … and I love it

Keo & Zels!

LOCAL IS LEKKER

Michiel le Roux, patriarch of the Le Roux family, is the biggest Stormers supporter of them all. Now he has safeguarded the future of the Stormers and rugby in his province.

(Johan) Le Roux, in his capacity as CEO, thanked Ardagh for its initial investment and for being the ideal partner in the Stormers’ evolution from a franchise into a club.

Nick Mallett, one of the big trees of rugby in this province, paraded the new home jersey and spoke of what rugby means to a united city, province and country.

I had the pleasure of chatting to former CEO Rob Wagner and COO Gavin Lewis. We were all there in 1999 when the Men in Black were born. Shout out to Skinstad, Corne Krige, Andy Marinos and Alan Solomons.

What a night to be there 27 years later, when the Men in Black were reborn, and not at the expense of the blue-and-white hoops.

Local is lekker, and it took local ownership and the most inspiring of coaches in Cape Town, the born and schooled Dobbo, to complete the Stormers’ identity, home and away.

Everything that is good about the Stormers