Stormers

History of the DHL Stormers

The Stormers rugby team was first established in 1997, when South Africa adopted a provincial system of rugby in the country.

Although the Stormers got off to a slow start and finished 9th in the 1998 edition of the tournament, the team improved quickly and reached the semi-final stage of the competition the next year. However, it would be another 11 years until the team reached their first and only Super 14 final in 2010. 

In the following two years, the Stormers rugby team performed admirably. However, despite finishing second and first in the league, they failed to advance past the semi-finals in the knockout rounds. Following this, the Stormers experienced limited success in the competition and never again advanced past the quarter-final stage. 

Then, in 2020, when the tournament was curtailed because of the coronavirus pandemic, South African sides including the Stormers withdrew from the competition. Although many hoped the move would be temporary, these teams have now permanently withdrawn from Super Rugby. As a result, since 2021, the Stormers rugby team has played in the United Rugby Championship. 

Thankfully, a change in competition also led to a change in luck for the DHL Stormers. This is because the team won the inaugural edition of the United Rugby Championship at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. The year after, they finished as runners-up. 

As you may expect from a team with such an esteemed history, several international stars have played for the Stormers, including Jaque Fourie and Bryan Habana. In addition, Siya Kolisi was the Stormers and South Africa captain when the national team won the Rugby World Cup in 2019. Today, the Stormers squad still includes several familiar faces and international players, such as Steven Kitshoff and Damian Willemse. 

Think the DHL Stormers can win the United Rugby Championship again this season? Follow them every step of the way with RugbyPass.