Day 2 Game 4 - FINAL - EASTERN PROVINCE VS WESTERN PROVINCE
2026 U20 Women’s Week
Stormers draw on 1976 magic to set the tone for All Blacks tour opener
The Stormers are using the 1976 WP comeback over the All Blacks as the emotional spine of their preparation for Friday's tour opener — with Dobson and Nel making clear they intend to compete, not celebrate.
Dobson: Stormers must compete to save the touring tradition
Dobson argues the Stormers must compete meaningfully against the All Blacks to prove traditional touring rugby is still viable — the 2021 Lions tour nearly buried the concept, and a repeat could make the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry format unsustainable.
Both camps agree: Friday's Stormers-All Blacks clash is a test match in all but name
Both camps are treating Friday's Stormers-All Blacks tour opener as a de facto test match — driven by internal All Black selection pressure, a 50-year gap since WP last hosted the All Blacks, and the Cape Town venue's importance to the test series.
Craven Week standouts and the SA Schools squads in full
A performance-by-performance breakdown of the U18 Craven Week, with analysis of the more interesting SA Schools selection calls — including the Sharks' dominance of the main squad's pack and the standout individuals who shaped the tournament.
Dobson's 2012 gamble on Kolbe, and why the Stormers' homecoming recruits aren't a Sharks repeat
Rich reveals Kolbe nearly quit rugby in 2012 before Dobson's intervention, and uses the Stormers' latest homecoming signings to argue why their model is structurally different from — and smarter than — the Sharks' costly Galactico era.