New Stormers academy to keep Cape’s top talent

The Stormers have established a new rugby institute in Stellenbosch for the top schoolboy rugby players in their region.

According to Rapport, the Cape franchise hopes star Paarl Gimnasium centre Markus Muller, who has also attracted interest from the Bulls, will be among their first intake of players, along with Gimmies No 8 Quintin Potgieter who has already signed for the Stormers.

The Stormers Rugby Institute is set to be run by Jacques Hanekom, currently head of rugby at the Stellenbosch Academy for Sport, after he completes his full-time SAS commitments this year.

“We are significantly more advanced than we were in the past in terms of retaining local talent and having a clear path for them with the opening of the Stormers Rugby Institute and our excellent relationships with local schools,” Stormers coach John Dobson told Rapport.

“Jacques ran an incredible Western Province Rugby Institute that produced many Springboks. Unfortunately, that institute was closed during some of the dark days of WP for financial reasons.”

Dobson says players won’t pay to join the non-commercial institute and that the Stormers will only target top schoolboys who they believe can go on to play for them.

“We are not going to recruit every talented schoolboy in the region, but exceptional players. We will then develop them as best as possible. It will be a world-class institute and will be integrated with the Stormers programme.

“Jacques is internationally respected in this field, but is currently employed by the SAS. He is someone we would like to have on board, but at this stage we have to respect his current service.”

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