Chippie Solomon: Celebrate him with noise and not silence

Chippie Solomon was never a man for silence.  Not for a minute. Not for a moment. Not for a token gesture that passes quietly and politely before the game carries on. He was about noise. The Stormers fans must celebrate his life with such noise against Connacht at the DHL Stadium on Saturday.

Chippie was energy. He was presence. He was the man moving with purpose while others were still thinking about it. He was about people, about standards, about making things happen. He was noise, laughter, detail and delivery.

So in a weekend that hits hard, that leaves a hole in Stormers rugby and in South African rugby, the most fitting tribute is not bowed heads and hushed voices.

It is applause.

It is noise.

It is a stadium that understands that some men don’t belong in silence; they belong in celebration.

Give Chippie what he lived in.

Give him what he created.

Give him the sound of a stadium this coming Saturday that understands that men with his gravitas never leave quietly. They leave behind the noise of applause.

The Life and Journey Chippie Solomon

• Christopher ‘Chippie’ Solomon passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 64
• He had served as Stormers team manager since 2004
• He was part of more than 350 matches in that role
• He was born in Newlands and raised in Bonteheuwel
• His professional life began in education, becoming a teacher, coach and later headmaster at Westridge High School
• He played as a hooker/loose forward and represented Western Province Schools (SARU structures)
• He served as Life President of Kuils River Rugby Club
• He was a SA Schools coach and selector before entering professional rugby structures
• He moved through junior team management into the senior Stormers role

Chippie was about classrooms and rugby fields, about education and inspiration.

Stormers Rugby Tribute

Stormers Rugby described him as:

• A “respected educator and administrator”
• A “loving husband and father”
• A “revered rugby man”

They emphasised his influence across:

• Players
• Coaches
• Staff
• Learners and the wider community

Within the Stormers environment, he was known as “Uncle Chippie” – a title that speaks more to presence than position.

Stormers coach John Dobson’s Tribute

John Dobson, via SA Rugby Magazine:

“Chippie was far more than a team manager. He was synonymous with this team and had a special connection with players, coaches and staff.”

Executive Reaction (Rugby365)

From Rugby365, Stormers CEO Johan le Roux said:

“We have lost a giant of the game.”

SA RUGBY President Mark Alexander – The South African

Wider Rugby Recognition

EPCR, as reported by SA Rugby Magazine, acknowledged his role:

• He played a key part in integrating South African teams into international club competitions.

Rugby365 & Sport24

Reporting from Rugby365 and Sport24 reinforces:

• He was widely seen as a father figure to players
• His nickname “Uncle Chippie” reflected his role in player welfare and culture
• He was deeply embedded in Cape rugby communities long before professionalism

Family

• Husband to Pearl
• Father to Nina and Chad
• Chad Solomon is a former Stormers player