Cheslin Kolbe is on the verge of returning to the Stormers from Suntory Sungoliath, with Rapport reporting the deal places him back at the Cape franchise from July 1.
Securing the move required a multi-party effort. The Stormers enlisted Roc Nations Sports, an international sports betting company believed to be Sportybet, and SA Rugby's PONI funding structure to prise Kolbe away from Japan, where he had extended his Suntory contract earlier this year through the 2026/27 season. A source close to the negotiations told Rapport: "It's definitely very, very close."
Kolbe would be the third high-profile Springbok returning to the Stormers ahead of next season, following Siya Kolisi from the Sharks and Wilco Louw from the Bulls. All three signings fall under John Dobson's Project 2029 framework, which has also seen Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Paul de Villiers, Wandisile Simelane, André-Hugo Venter and Jurie Matthee commit to new deals in recent months.
On the wing, where Leolin Zas and Suleiman Hartzenberg have carried the bulk of the workload this season, Kolbe's arrival addresses a position the Stormers had also tried to reinforce through Dylan Maart. The Griquas wing, who spent a loan stint at the Cape, instead opted for a two-year deal with the Bulls.
Kolbe remains in sharp form in Japan, contributing 20 points in Suntory's 40-35 Japan Rugby League One quarter-final win over BlackRams Tokyo on Saturday.