The Stormers have named a 56-man squad for the 2026/27 URC and Champions Cup season, with Ruhan Nel appointed club captain. The group includes 17 internationals — 15 of them Springboks — as well as four members of this year's Junior Springbok World Rugby U20 Championship-winning squad.
Among the headline returnees are Siya Kolisi (118 Stormers caps), Cheslin Kolbe (49 caps) and Wilco Louw (52 caps), back in Cape Town after stints abroad. Eighteen players from the 2021/22 URC title-winning squad remain in the group.
Director of Rugby John Dobson described this as the deepest squad he has had at his disposal in recent seasons, pointing to the experienced core, high-profile returners and youth pipeline as the foundation for the club's Project 2029 ambitions. Last season the Stormers fielded a matchday team with a combined 1,569 Stormers caps — a club record — and Dobson has flagged building on that as a key marker going forward.
The Stormers open the season with back-to-back away fixtures in the URC, facing Connacht in Galway before travelling to Edinburgh.
Full squad:
Props: Neethling Fouché (114), Oli Kebble (57), Sazi Sandi (52), Wilco Louw (52), Vernon Matongo (22), Ntuthuko Mchunu (19), Zachary Porthen (15), Hencus van Wyk (2), Herman Lubbe* (1), Olly Reid* (1)
Hookers: André-Hugo Venter (89), JJ Kotzé (58), Lukhanyo Vokozela (4), Vernon Paulo (0), Luca Bakkes (0)
Locks: JD Schickerling (74), Adré Smith (69), Connor Evans (40), Gary Porter (19), Riley Norton* (0)
Loose forwards: Deon Fourie (141), Siya Kolisi (118), Marcel Theunissen (95), Evan Roos (87), Ben-Jason Dixon (86), Hacjivah Dayimani (64), Paul de Villiers (36), Keke Morabe (19), Louw Nel (13), Ruan Ackermann (10), Wandile Mlaba* (2), Divan Fuller* (0)
Scrumhalves: Stefan Ungerer (47), Imad Khan (18), Cobus Reinach (9), Ezekiel Ngobeni (0), Jayden Brits* (0)
Flyhalves: Jean-Luc du Plessis (61), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (53), Jurie Matthee (29), Yaqeen Ahmed* (1), Kyle Smith* (0)
Centres: Ruhan Nel (90), Wandisile Simelane (41), Jonathan Roche (16), Markus Muller* (1), Josh Boulle (0)
Wings: Leolin Zas (99), Seabelo Senatla (74), Cheslin Kolbe (49), JC Mars* (3), Mfundo Ndhlovu (1), Joel Leotlela (0), Gino Cupido* (0)
Fullbacks: Damian Willemse (118), Warrick Gelant (77)
- Under-21 players