Stormers
Encyclopedia
The Stormers, for sponsorship reasons referred to as DHL
Stormers, are a South Africa
n rugby union
team based in Cape Town
competing in the Super Rugby competition (formerly Super 14). Despite their lack of silverware over the years, their home stadium, Newlands
, typically draws the highest average attendance figures of any ground in the Super 14. The team captain for 2011 is flank Schalk Burger
.
They are centred on the Western Province
Currie Cup
side, but also draw players from the Boland Cavaliers
(covering the Cape Winelands
and West Coast
districts, with home matches in Wellington
). Through 2005, they also drew players from the Eagles
(George
), which meant that they drew players from all three unions in the Western Cape Province. However, the general realignment of franchise areas resulting from the expansion of the competition resulted in the Eagles being moved to the area of the Southern Spears
, which were originally to enter the Super 14 in 2007 but have since been denied entry into the competition.
Prior to 1998, South Africa did not use a franchise system for the Super 12, instead sending the top four unions from its domestic competition, the Currie Cup, into the Super 12. In 1996, the Stormers qualified and competed in the Super 12 as Western Province. In 1997, they did not qualify, the 4th South African team being the Orange Free State (now the Free State Cheetahs
at Currie Cup level; the region would later be represented in Super 12 by the Cats
(now known as the Lions) and in Super 14 by the Central Cheetahs
).
The Stormers played their first ever final, against the Vodacom Bulls, in 2010 after beating the Waratahs
in the semi-final stage but ultimately lost to the Bulls. In the two previous years in which they reached the semi-finals, 1999 and 2004, they were eliminated by the Highlanders and Crusaders. They are also the only side to lose a semifinal/final to a team from across the Indian ocean in Super 12/Super 14 history, losing to the Highlanders at home in 1999.
, with the top four sides gaining entry in the Super 12. Newlands did see Super 12 competition during the era when this model of competition was used, with the Western Province
gaining promotion for the inaugural season
of 1996. However, the team did not perform that well, winning only three matches from 11 fixtures, and finishing second last on the table, though Transvaal
and the Wellington Hurricanes
both won the same amount of games as the Western Province, they finished higher, due to a superior for and against.
The following season, in 1997
, the Western Province did not gain promotion to the Super 12, and the Cape Town area was not represented that season, as the South Africa teams in competition were instead the Natal Sharks
, Gauteng Lions
, Free State
and Northern Transvaal
. The next season
, South Africa adopted a similar system to that of New Zealand's and Australia's, creating four new provincial sides, and abolishing qualification through the Currie Cup. One of the sides created was the Stormers, or the Western Stormers. The Stormers' first season was fairly similar to that of the Western Province's in 1996, winning just the three games out of 11 fixtures, though they finished in ninth place overall on the table.
The 1999 Super 12 season
was far more successful for the Stormers, as the lost only three matches during the regular season; against the ACT Brumbies
, the Otago Highlanders and fellow South African team, the Cats
, though the Stormers ended up finishing higher on the table than all of those sides, finishing in second place overall, behind only the Queensland Reds
. The Stormers thus qualified for the semi-finals for the first time, and due to their second position, hosted their semi-final in cape Town. They were however defeated by Otago, 33 points to 18.
In 2000
, the Stormers fell just short of making the finals again, as they finished in fifth position, with a total of 31 points, just one point behind the Cats and Highlanders who both made it to the semi-finals, on 32 points. However, the following season of 2001
saw the Stormers move further away from a place in the finals, as they won five of their 11 fixtures, and ended up finishing in seventh place on the ladder. The following season
was not any better for the Stormers, despite starting the season with an optimistic 40 to 18 win over the Sharks
, the Stormers ended up finishing in ninth place on the ladder.
The 2004 season
saw the Stormers return to the success of 1999, as they qualified for the finals again. The team finished in third place overall, with seven wins, and on 34 points, one point more than the fourth placed Chiefs
. The Stormers travelled to Jade Stadium
in Christchurch
, where they met the Crusaders in the semi-final. The home team won, defeating the Stormers 27 points to 16. The following season
the Stormers fell to ninth place on the table come the end of the regular season, far from finals contention.
For the 2006 season
, the Super 12 became the Super 14, with the addition of two new teams; one from Australia, the Western Force
, and one from South Africa, the Central Cheetahs
. The Stormers won four of the now 13 regular rounds, finishing in 11th place in the final standings.
The year 2008 was one of revival for the Stormers after Kobus van der Merwe was fired and ex-Cheetahs coach, Rassie Erasmus
, was brought in as head coach and WP Director of Rugby. Rassie Erasmus was hoping for a top half of the table finish, however the Stormers exceeded expectations and after losing their first 3 games of the season fought back to finish tied for 4th place on the log, missing out on an away semi final due to an inferior points differential to the Hurricanes.
After a poor 2009, the Stormers reshuffled their squad, bringing in many new faces including Springbok
stars Jacque Fourie and Bryan Habana
, while losing a host of players such as Springbok centre Jean de Villiers
(Munster
), fullback Percy Montgomery
(Retired) and controversial
flank Luke Watson
(Bath
). The Stormers enjoyed a successful start to their 2010 campaign, winning 5 of their first 6 games. They then started their four match tour of the Antipodes and while they disappointingly lost to the then last-placed Western Force and a resurgent Queensland Reds
, they defeated the Blues and Chiefs to be firmly in semi-final contention at the end of the tour. They returned home to South Africa and after cruising past the Crusaders, they lost to the Sharks. This meant that they had to win their last game against the Bulls to claim a home semi-final. The Bulls, already qualified in first position, fielded a weakened line-up and the Stormers duly beat them 38–10 for their first home semi-final since 1999. In the semi-final against the Waratahs a win was never in doubt as they beat the men from Sydney 25–6, the game's only try being a spectacular individual effort by Juan de Jongh. With the Bulls winning the other semi against the Crusaders, an all South African final was ensured.
After a great semifinal performance, the Stormers went down badly in the final 25–17 to the Bulls at the historic Orlando Stadium in a game that the Stormers never looked like winning.
In 1999 came a dramatic change from the "loud" look to a simple black jumper and shorts, with black and white "Barbarian"
socks, bold numbering and the now familiar lighting bolt logo on the breast. The move to black was done with the express purpose of appealing to a much wider audience. Black became one of the core attributes of the Stormers brand.
2007, however, saw a move away from black to navy blue as the Stormers and WP brands converged.
In 2011, white bars across the front of the navy blue jersey was introduced in order to bring it further in line with the WP brand
The first official matches played at Newlands were in 1890. The ground has been continually developed over the past century, entirely by the efforts of the Western Province Rugby Football Union
and its administrators. The stadium has taken on various names over the years due to sponsorship of the Western Province side, but is today simply named Newlands, a decision made by former Stormers sponsors Investec. Vodacom has since taken over sponsorship of the team and stadium, but chose not to rename the stadium. Newlands has usually drawn the largest average crowds of any stadium in Super Rugby competition. In 2002 the Stormers welcomed their millionth spectator through the gates. The ground was bought in 1888, and currently has a capacity of 50,900.
(from
Bulls) JP du Plessis
(from
Melbourne Rebels
) Joe Pietersen
(from
Bayonne
) Deon Carstens
(from
Saracens
)
(Connacht
) CJ van der Linde
( Lions) Anton van Zyl
( Stade Français) Francois Louw
( Bath
) Ricky Januarie
( Lyon) Lionel Cronje
( Bulls) Johann Sadie
( Bulls) Paul Bosch
( Montpellier
) JJ Engelbrecht ( Bulls) Tim Whitehead
( Sharks
) Adriaan Fondse
( Newcastle Falcons
) Conrad Jantjes
( Biarritz
) Pieter Louw
(released)
DHL
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
Stormers, are a South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team based in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
competing in the Super Rugby competition (formerly Super 14). Despite their lack of silverware over the years, their home stadium, Newlands
Newlands Stadium
Newlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue....
, typically draws the highest average attendance figures of any ground in the Super 14. The team captain for 2011 is flank Schalk Burger
Schalk Burger
Schalk Burger Jr. is a South African rugby union player. He plays the position of flanker in the Springbok rugby union team.-Father:...
.
They are centred on the Western Province
Western Province (rugby team)
DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team...
Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
side, but also draw players from the Boland Cavaliers
Boland Cavaliers
The Boland Cavaliers , are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament...
(covering the Cape Winelands
Cape Winelands District Municipality
The Cape Winelands District Municipality, formerly the Boland District Municipality, is a district municipality located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. As of 2007, it had a population of 712,413...
and West Coast
West Coast District Municipality
The West Coast District Municipality is a district municipality located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its municipality code is DC1. Moorreesburg is the seat of the district...
districts, with home matches in Wellington
Wellington, Western Cape
Wellington is a town in the Western Cape Winelands 45 minutes from Cape Town, in South Africa with a population of approximately 58,300. Wellington's economy is centered around agriculture such as wine, table grapes, citrus fruit and a brandy industry. The town is located 75 km north-east of...
). Through 2005, they also drew players from the Eagles
Eagles (rugby team)
The South Western Districts Eagles, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They play out of George at Outeniqua Park....
(George
George, Western Cape
George is a city with 203,253 inhabitants in South Africa's Western Cape province. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre and the administrative and commercial hub of the Garden Route.- Location :...
), which meant that they drew players from all three unions in the Western Cape Province. However, the general realignment of franchise areas resulting from the expansion of the competition resulted in the Eagles being moved to the area of the Southern Spears
Southern Spears
The Southern Spears, were a South African rugby union franchise who were originally founded in 2005 and were intended to participate in the Super 14 from 2007 onwards; however, their proposed entry into the competition led to considerable controversy within the country's rugby establishment...
, which were originally to enter the Super 14 in 2007 but have since been denied entry into the competition.
Prior to 1998, South Africa did not use a franchise system for the Super 12, instead sending the top four unions from its domestic competition, the Currie Cup, into the Super 12. In 1996, the Stormers qualified and competed in the Super 12 as Western Province. In 1997, they did not qualify, the 4th South African team being the Orange Free State (now the Free State Cheetahs
Free State Cheetahs
The Free State Cheetahs , currently named the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, for sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Free State Rugby Union and are based at the 37,076-capacity Vodacom Park in...
at Currie Cup level; the region would later be represented in Super 12 by the Cats
Lions (rugby franchise)
The Lions, known as the Cats between the 1998 and 2006 seasons, are a South African rugby union franchise that competes in the Super Rugby competition. From 2011 they are known as the MTNLions for sponsorship reasons. They have not achieved great success in this competition, finishing at the bottom...
(now known as the Lions) and in Super 14 by the Central Cheetahs
Central Cheetahs
The Central Cheetahs, known for sponsorship reasons as the Toyota Cheetahs, is a South African rugby union team that entered the Super Rugby competition in 2006. The franchise area encompasses the Free State and Northern Cape. In terms of Currie Cup unions, the Cheetahs draw from Free State...
).
The Stormers played their first ever final, against the Vodacom Bulls, in 2010 after beating the Waratahs
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
in the semi-final stage but ultimately lost to the Bulls. In the two previous years in which they reached the semi-finals, 1999 and 2004, they were eliminated by the Highlanders and Crusaders. They are also the only side to lose a semifinal/final to a team from across the Indian ocean in Super 12/Super 14 history, losing to the Highlanders at home in 1999.
History
With the launch of the Super 12 in 1996, both Australia and New Zealand adopted franchise-based models for their provincial teams that were to compete in the new competition. However, the South Africa teams were to be determined by the results of the previous season's Currie CupCurrie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
, with the top four sides gaining entry in the Super 12. Newlands did see Super 12 competition during the era when this model of competition was used, with the Western Province
Western Province (rugby team)
DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team...
gaining promotion for the inaugural season
1996 Super 12 season
The 1996 Super 12 season was the inaugural season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 1996, with each team playing all the others once...
of 1996. However, the team did not perform that well, winning only three matches from 11 fixtures, and finishing second last on the table, though Transvaal
Golden Lions
The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason...
and the Wellington Hurricanes
Hurricanes (Super rugby franchise)
The Hurricanes are a New Zealand professional Rugby union team based in Wellington that competes in the Super Rugby competition...
both won the same amount of games as the Western Province, they finished higher, due to a superior for and against.
The following season, in 1997
1997 Super 12 season
The 1997 Super 12 season was the second season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 1997, with each team playing all the others once...
, the Western Province did not gain promotion to the Super 12, and the Cape Town area was not represented that season, as the South Africa teams in competition were instead the Natal Sharks
Natal Sharks
The Natal Sharks are a South African rugby union team that participate in the annual Currie Cup and Super Rugby tournaments. The Sharks home stadium is Kings Park. They draw most of their players from the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The Sharks are the current representative team of the Natal rugby...
, Gauteng Lions
Golden Lions
The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason...
, Free State
Free State Cheetahs
The Free State Cheetahs , currently named the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, for sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Free State Rugby Union and are based at the 37,076-capacity Vodacom Park in...
and Northern Transvaal
Blue Bulls
The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament...
. The next season
1998 Super 12 season
The 1998 Super 12 season was the third season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 1998, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi finals,...
, South Africa adopted a similar system to that of New Zealand's and Australia's, creating four new provincial sides, and abolishing qualification through the Currie Cup. One of the sides created was the Stormers, or the Western Stormers. The Stormers' first season was fairly similar to that of the Western Province's in 1996, winning just the three games out of 11 fixtures, though they finished in ninth place overall on the table.
The 1999 Super 12 season
1999 Super 12 season
The 1999 Super 12 season was the fourth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 1999, with each team playing all the others once...
was far more successful for the Stormers, as the lost only three matches during the regular season; against the ACT Brumbies
Brumbies Rugby
The Brumbies are a Super 15 rugby union team based in Canberra, Australia and named for the wild horses which inhabit Canberra's hinterland...
, the Otago Highlanders and fellow South African team, the Cats
Lions (rugby franchise)
The Lions, known as the Cats between the 1998 and 2006 seasons, are a South African rugby union franchise that competes in the Super Rugby competition. From 2011 they are known as the MTNLions for sponsorship reasons. They have not achieved great success in this competition, finishing at the bottom...
, though the Stormers ended up finishing higher on the table than all of those sides, finishing in second place overall, behind only the Queensland Reds
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
. The Stormers thus qualified for the semi-finals for the first time, and due to their second position, hosted their semi-final in cape Town. They were however defeated by Otago, 33 points to 18.
In 2000
2000 Super 12 season
The 2000 Super 12 season was the fifth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2000, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi finals,...
, the Stormers fell just short of making the finals again, as they finished in fifth position, with a total of 31 points, just one point behind the Cats and Highlanders who both made it to the semi-finals, on 32 points. However, the following season of 2001
2001 Super 12 season
The 2001 Super 12 season was the sixth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2001, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi finals,...
saw the Stormers move further away from a place in the finals, as they won five of their 11 fixtures, and ended up finishing in seventh place on the ladder. The following season
2003 Super 12 season
The 2003 Super 12 season was the eighth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2003, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi...
was not any better for the Stormers, despite starting the season with an optimistic 40 to 18 win over the Sharks
Sharks (rugby franchise)
The Sharks are a South African rugby union team competing in the Super Rugby competition...
, the Stormers ended up finishing in ninth place on the ladder.
The 2004 season
2004 Super 12 season
The 2004 Super 12 season was the ninth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2004, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi finals,...
saw the Stormers return to the success of 1999, as they qualified for the finals again. The team finished in third place overall, with seven wins, and on 34 points, one point more than the fourth placed Chiefs
Chiefs (Super rugby franchise)
The Chiefs are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their home ground is Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs play in black, red and yellow coloured jerseys...
. The Stormers travelled to Jade Stadium
Jade Stadium
Lancaster Park, formerly Jade Stadium and currently known as AMI Stadium through sponsorship rights, is a sports stadium situated in Waltham, a suburb of Christchurch in New Zealand....
in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, where they met the Crusaders in the semi-final. The home team won, defeating the Stormers 27 points to 16. The following season
2005 Super 12 season
The 2005 Super 12 season was the tenth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2005, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi finals,...
the Stormers fell to ninth place on the table come the end of the regular season, far from finals contention.
For the 2006 season
2006 Super 14 season
The 2006 Super 14 season started on Friday 10 February 2006. The Grand Final was held on Saturday 27 May 2006. Super 14 is a provincial rugby union competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season was the first of the expansion, which saw two new teams, the...
, the Super 12 became the Super 14, with the addition of two new teams; one from Australia, the Western Force
Western Force
Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th...
, and one from South Africa, the Central Cheetahs
Central Cheetahs
The Central Cheetahs, known for sponsorship reasons as the Toyota Cheetahs, is a South African rugby union team that entered the Super Rugby competition in 2006. The franchise area encompasses the Free State and Northern Cape. In terms of Currie Cup unions, the Cheetahs draw from Free State...
. The Stormers won four of the now 13 regular rounds, finishing in 11th place in the final standings.
The year 2008 was one of revival for the Stormers after Kobus van der Merwe was fired and ex-Cheetahs coach, Rassie Erasmus
Rassie Erasmus
Rassie Erasmus is the current coach of the Stormers rugby franchise in South Africa. Erasmus played mainly as a flanker for the Springboks at international level, for the Free State Cheetahs and the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup, and for the Cats in the Super 12...
, was brought in as head coach and WP Director of Rugby. Rassie Erasmus was hoping for a top half of the table finish, however the Stormers exceeded expectations and after losing their first 3 games of the season fought back to finish tied for 4th place on the log, missing out on an away semi final due to an inferior points differential to the Hurricanes.
After a poor 2009, the Stormers reshuffled their squad, bringing in many new faces including Springbok
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
stars Jacque Fourie and Bryan Habana
Bryan Habana
Bryan Gary Habana is a South African rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Western Province in the Currie Cup, the Stormers in Super 14, and the 2007 Rugby World Cup champions Springboks...
, while losing a host of players such as Springbok centre Jean de Villiers
Jean de Villiers
Jean de Villiers is a South African rugby union footballer. He started his career at wing, but now primarily plays centre. De Villiers plays for Western Province and internationally for South Africa....
(Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
), fullback Percy Montgomery
Percy Montgomery
Percival Colin "Percy" Montgomery is a retired South African rugby union player...
(Retired) and controversial
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
flank Luke Watson
Luke Watson
Luke Asher Watson is a South African rugby union footballer who can play at flank or eighthman. He has represented and captained the South African Schools rugby team , South Africa's under-19 and under-21 teams, as well as the Springbok Sevens team...
(Bath
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
). The Stormers enjoyed a successful start to their 2010 campaign, winning 5 of their first 6 games. They then started their four match tour of the Antipodes and while they disappointingly lost to the then last-placed Western Force and a resurgent Queensland Reds
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
, they defeated the Blues and Chiefs to be firmly in semi-final contention at the end of the tour. They returned home to South Africa and after cruising past the Crusaders, they lost to the Sharks. This meant that they had to win their last game against the Bulls to claim a home semi-final. The Bulls, already qualified in first position, fielded a weakened line-up and the Stormers duly beat them 38–10 for their first home semi-final since 1999. In the semi-final against the Waratahs a win was never in doubt as they beat the men from Sydney 25–6, the game's only try being a spectacular individual effort by Juan de Jongh. With the Bulls winning the other semi against the Crusaders, an all South African final was ensured.
After a great semifinal performance, the Stormers went down badly in the final 25–17 to the Bulls at the historic Orlando Stadium in a game that the Stormers never looked like winning.
Strip
The very first (Western) Stormers jersey and logo in 1998 combined the colours of the three Unions who made up the regional franchise – WP, SWD and Boland. There were a myriad of colours in the jersey – blue, white, red, green, gold – and a triangular logo with a wave affect inside. Some liked the look, others not. One newspaper scribe wrote: "It looks like scrambled eggs with a box of Smarties thrown in!"In 1999 came a dramatic change from the "loud" look to a simple black jumper and shorts, with black and white "Barbarian"
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
socks, bold numbering and the now familiar lighting bolt logo on the breast. The move to black was done with the express purpose of appealing to a much wider audience. Black became one of the core attributes of the Stormers brand.
2007, however, saw a move away from black to navy blue as the Stormers and WP brands converged.
In 2011, white bars across the front of the navy blue jersey was introduced in order to bring it further in line with the WP brand
Stadium
The first official matches played at Newlands were in 1890. The ground has been continually developed over the past century, entirely by the efforts of the Western Province Rugby Football Union
Western Province (rugby team)
DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team...
and its administrators. The stadium has taken on various names over the years due to sponsorship of the Western Province side, but is today simply named Newlands, a decision made by former Stormers sponsors Investec. Vodacom has since taken over sponsorship of the team and stadium, but chose not to rename the stadium. Newlands has usually drawn the largest average crowds of any stadium in Super Rugby competition. In 2002 the Stormers welcomed their millionth spectator through the gates. The ground was bought in 1888, and currently has a capacity of 50,900.
Current squad
Stormers 2012 Super Rugby SquadProps
Hookers
|
Locks
Loose Forwards
|
Scrum Halfs
Fly Halfs
|
Centres
Wingers
Full Backs
|
In for 2012
Gerhard van den HeeverGerhard van den Heever
Gerhard van den Heever is a South African rugby union footballer. In 2010 van den Heever inherited Bryan Habana's number 11 shirt for the Bulls after Habana's departure for the Stormers; van den Heever is said to be even quicker than Habana...
(from
Bulls) JP du PlessisJP du Plessis
JP du Plessis is a South African dual-code Rugby player currently signed to the Melbourne Rebels in the Super Rugby competition.He prevoiusly played rugby league for the Sydney Roosters- Career :...
(from
Melbourne RebelsMelbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia...
) Joe Pietersen
Joe Pietersen
Joe Pietersen is a South African rugby union footballer who currently plays as fullback or on the wing for Western Province.He started his career at , playing for them in the domestic Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup competitions, as well as representing the in Super Rugby...
(from
BayonneAviron Bayonnais
Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition...
) Deon Carstens
Deon Carstens
Pieter-Deon Carstens, better known simply as Deon Carstens, is a South African rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Stormers in Super Rugby...
(from
SaracensSaracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
)
Out for 2012
Ethienne ReyneckeEthienne Reynecke
Ethienne Reynecke is a South African rugby union footballer who formerly played for the Western Province provincial team and the Stormers Super 14 team. He joined Connacht on a 2 year deal for the 2011/12 season.- External links :*...
(Connacht
Connacht Rugby
Connacht Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 comprising teams from the Celtic nations plus Italy. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup...
) CJ van der Linde
CJ van der Linde
CJ van der Linde is a South African rugby union footballer. His usual position is prop. He played for Leinster Rugby in the international Magners League from 2008–10, and currently plays for the Stormers....
(
Lions) Anton van ZylAnton van Zyl
Anton van Zyl is a South African rugby union footballer.- External links :***...
(
Stade Français) Francois LouwFrancois Louw
Francois Louw is a South African rugby union international who plays as a flanker. Louw is the grandson of the former South African international Jan Pickard....
(
BathBath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
) Ricky Januarie
Ricky Januarie
Enrico "Ricky" Januarie is a South African rugby union scrum-half. Formerly of the Lions, he signed with the Stormers, in the Vodacom Super 14 in 2008. He was also a member of the national Springboks squad. He announced his retirement from international rugby on 24 July 2011...
(
Lyon) Lionel CronjeLionel Cronje
Lionel Cronjé is a South African rugby union footballer.- External links :***...
(
Bulls) Johann SadieJohann Sadie
Johann Sadie is a professional South African rugby union player. He currently plays for Western Province in South Africa's Currie Cup, and the Stormers in Super Rugby. He usually plays as a centre.- External links :**...
(
Bulls) Paul BoschPaul Bosch
Paul Bosch is a professional South African rugby union player. He currently plays for Montpellier after signing from Western Province in South Africa's Currie Cup, and the Stormers in Super Rugby. He usually plays as a centre....
(
MontpellierMontpellier Hérault RC
Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007...
) JJ Engelbrecht (
Bulls) Tim WhiteheadTim Whitehead
Tim Whitehead is an American ice hockey coach. Whitehead is currently the head coach of the University of Maine. He has led the Black Bears to two championship game appearances. Previously, he was the head coach at the University of Massachusetts Lowell....
(
SharksNatal Sharks
The Natal Sharks are a South African rugby union team that participate in the annual Currie Cup and Super Rugby tournaments. The Sharks home stadium is Kings Park. They draw most of their players from the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The Sharks are the current representative team of the Natal rugby...
) Adriaan Fondse
Adriaan Fondse
Adriaan Fondse is a South African rugby union footballer playing for Newcastle Falcons.-Education:Fondse attended Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool , a public school located in Pretoria...
(
Newcastle FalconsNewcastle Falcons
The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in...
) Conrad Jantjes
Conrad Jantjes
Conrad Jantjes is a South African rugby union footballer who plays primarily as a fullback for the Springboks in international rugby and the Stormers in Super Rugby...
(
BiarritzBiarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...
) Pieter Louw
Pieter Louw
Pieter Louw is a South African rugby union footballer.- External links :***...
(released)
Season standings
| Season | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | BP | Pts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 1996 Super 12 season The 1996 Super 12 season was the inaugural season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 1996, with each team playing all the others once... |
11th | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 251 | 353 | −101 | 1 | 15 | As Western Province |
| 1997 1997 Super 12 season The 1997 Super 12 season was the second season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 1997, with each team playing all the others once... |
n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | Not promoted |
| 1998 1998 Super 12 season The 1998 Super 12 season was the third season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 1998, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi finals,... |
9th | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 248 | 364 | −116 | 6 | 18 | |
| 1999 1999 Super 12 season The 1999 Super 12 season was the fourth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 1999, with each team playing all the others once... |
2nd | 11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 290 | 244 | 4 | 36 | Lost semi-final to Otago Highlanders | |
| 2000 2000 Super 12 season The 2000 Super 12 season was the fifth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2000, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi finals,... |
5th | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 298 | 276 | 5 | 31 | ||
| 2001 2001 Super 12 season The 2001 Super 12 season was the sixth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2001, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi finals,... |
7th | 11 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 278 | 285 | −7 | 6 | 26 | |
| 2002 2002 Super 12 season The 2002 Super 12 season was the seventh season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2002, with each team playing all the others once... |
7th | 11 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 310 | 314 | −4 | 7 | 27 | |
| 2003 2003 Super 12 season The 2003 Super 12 season was the eighth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2003, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi... |
9th | 11 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 255 | 354 | −99 | 3 | 23 | |
| 2004 2004 Super 12 season The 2004 Super 12 season was the ninth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2004, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi finals,... |
3rd | 11 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 286 | 260 | 5 | 33 | Lost semi-final to Crusaders | |
| 2005 2005 Super 12 season The 2005 Super 12 season was the tenth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2005, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi finals,... |
9th | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 215 | 320 | −105 | 4 | 18 | |
| 2006 2006 Super 14 season The 2006 Super 14 season started on Friday 10 February 2006. The Grand Final was held on Saturday 27 May 2006. Super 14 is a provincial rugby union competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season was the first of the expansion, which saw two new teams, the... |
11th | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 263 | 334 | −71 | 5 | 23 | |
| 2007 2007 Super 14 season The 2007 Super 14 season started in February 2007 with preseason matches held from mid-January. It finished on 19 May with the final at ABSA Stadium in Durban, in the first final between two South African teams in the history of Super Rugby... |
10th | 13 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 249 | 326 | −77 | 3 | 27 | |
| 2008 2008 Super 14 season The 2008 Super 14 season started in February 2008 with pre-season matches held from mid-January. It finished on 31 May, when the Crusaders won their seventh Super Rugby title with a 20–12 victory over the Waratahs in front of the Crusaders' home fans. The 2008 season was the third of the expansion,... |
5th | 13 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 269 | 211 | 7 | 41 | ||
| 2009 2009 Super 14 season The 2009 Super 14 season kicked off in February 2009 with pre-season matches held from mid-January. It finished on 30 May, when the Bulls won their second Super Rugby title with a decisive 61–17 victory over the Waikato Chiefs at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, South Africa. The 2009 season... |
10th | 13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 235 | 249 | −14 | 7 | 27 | |
| 2010 2010 Super 14 season The 2010 Super 14 season kicked off in February 2010 with pre-season matches held from mid-January. It finished on 29 May. The 2010 season was the fifth and last season of the expanded Super 14 format. The schedule, which covers 3½ months, featured a total of 94 matches, with each team playing one... |
2nd | 13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 365 | 171 | 8 | 44 | Lost final to Bulls | |
| 2011 | 2nd | 16 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 400 | 257 | 7 | 63 | Lost semi-final to Crusaders | |
| Overall Overall An overall, coverall, over all, or dungarees, is a type of garment which is usually used as protective clothing when working... |
n/a | 180 | 89 | 5 | 86 | 4212 | 4318 | −106 | 78 | 452 | |
External links
- Official site
- Latest Stormers SuperRugby news
- Western Province Rugby
- sarugby.net
- Statistics par itsrugby.co.uk