Sacha signature the biggest statement from Stormers’ owners

Red Disa Investments, the owners of the Stormers, made the biggest statement in securing the signature of Sacha-Feinberg Mngomezulu until the end of the 2029 season.

This is a club, based in the most sought after tourist city in the world, with an ambition to be the most sought after rugby club on the planet, and a club whose players are among the sport’s hottest property.

Right now, none is sizzling more than Feinberg-Mngomezulu, a home grown talent, whose signature was secured to 2027, but who now will remain in Cape Town beyond 2027 as part of the Stormers and coach John Dobson’s project to make the Stormers the No 1 club in the sport.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu could have picked the city of his choice, in South Africa or anywhere else in the rugby playing world, as his next club-rugby home base. It is the biggest compliment to Dobson and the Stormers owners, led by CEO Johan le Roux, that the very best of the Cape Town-born and raised players want to remain at the Stormers.

Le Roux, among the Red Disa ownership, doubles his role as the CEO. He has been transparent in the past year that the club ethos was not going to be one of throwing money at big name players for the sake of it.

The club ambition is such that the right players would be sought and retained. It is about culture and understanding the club, its supporters and the history of the Stormers.

Local talent will always be a priority, keeping the local talent at the club aligns with this priority and, where possible, another investment would be bringing back in-form big names who had previously played for the Stormers.

Wilco Louw, the most destructive tighthead scrumming prop, is returning to the Stormers, having last played for the club in 2017. Louw transferred to London’s Harlequins and then to the Bulls. He is the most sought after tighthead in world rugby.

The Stormers got him for the 2026/27 season.

They also got Springboks scrumhalf Cobus Reinach to return to South Africa after nearly a decade playing for the Saints and Montpellier in England and France. They did this and kept SA under 20 halfback and local lad Imad Khan, who was the Player of the Match in the Investec Champions Cup match against Bayonne in France.

Damian Willemse, Evan Roos and BJ Dixon all committed to staying in Cape Town and there has been investment in the leadership and playing qualities of former SA under 20 captain Salmaan Moerat and veteran loose-forward Deon Fourie. Coaching pathways have been created for club icons Brok Harris and Dewald Duvenhage and an intense and detailed talent identification programme has ensured the best of the young brigade remain in Cape Town.

Outside backs Leolin Zas and Suleiman Hartzenberg are part of the future, so too midfielder Jonny Roche and flyhalf Jurie Matthee and utility flank/lock Connor Evans.

Paul de Villiers, another former SA under 20 captain, is thriving as the successor to Fourie, whose early season was cut short through injury.

Dobson also secured SA under 20 rugby captain and SA under 19 cricket captain Riley Norton’s signature, as well as the prized schoolboy asset Markus Muller, who matriculated from Paarl Gim a month ago. The prop resources are huge, from club centurions Frans Malherbe and Neethling Fouche, to the most exciting young talent in the country, including prop Zach Porthen, who made his Springboks debut a month ago, at just 21 years-old.

KEO & ZELS PREVIEW THIS WEEKEND’S DERBIES 

The Stormers Academy runs for the first time in a decade, but is streamlined and without freebies. There is a non-negotiable attitude toward youth, a refusal to bin experienced players because of age, and a crafted battle plan in how to maximise the legs and minds of those players the wrong side of 30.

Ruhan Nel and the Du Plessis cousins, Dan and Jean-Luc, Seabelo Senatla, Ali Vermaak and Scarra Ntubeni are very highly regarded.

BLUE & WHITE DELIGHT FOR STORMERS & adidas 

Local is LEKKER is a real thing at the Stormers, among the players and coaches.

Of the current squad, 24 were schooled locally.

Dobson is a Cape rugby pureblood. This city province and club has been his home from the moment he played. His father, the late Paul Dobson, was an internationally celebrated rugby historian, Western Province referee and Master at Bishops for 30-plus years.

Dobson was born into Cape rugby.

He understands the Cape rugby landscape like no other coach in this country. He lived it as a schoolboy, club and provincial club player and did his entire rugby coaching apprenticeship within the structures of the Stormers. He coached the juniors at Western Province, the seniors at Western Province and finally the Stormers, who he guided to the URC title in its inaugural season.

The CEO Le Roux breathes local rugby. He attended Paul Roos.

STUNNING STORMERS REBRAND IS A REBOOT

The Stormers home support base is the best in the country, in crowd attendance, in social media interest and among the most popular among broadcast statistics.

Cape Town is consistently ranked as one of the most visited tourist attractions by overseas travel publications and travel critics.

Cape Town is also home to the Stormers and the city and rugby club are a match made in marketing heaven.

KEO’S URC DERBY WEEKEND ACCUMULATOR – AFRICA PICKS

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