John Dobson has been candid about what those back-to-back January losses to the Sharks did to the Stormers — and how that hurt is now being weaponised ahead of Saturday's Cape Town derby. He's admitted the squad may have underestimated the Sharks last season while fixating on the Bulls, and that losing at home without even a bonus point to a side sitting tenth on the log was a particular source of shame. The piece details how Dobson is treating this fixture with the full weight of a top-of-the-table Test match, fielding his strongest available squad — seven returning Boks included — and insisting the 'flat' performance that defined those 2024 encounters won't be repeated. With the Sharks the only side on maximum points after two rounds and fresh off beating Leinster, the backdrop makes this one of the more emotionally loaded derbies in recent memory.
Stormers draw on last season's 'low point' to fuel Sharks derby fire
Dobson has openly named last season's consecutive Sharks losses as the Stormers' nadir — and the piece unpacks how that hurt is shaping a fired-up, Bok-heavy selection for a high-stakes Cape Town derby against the URC's only perfect-record side.
Dobson: Kolbe returning to win trophies, not to wind down
John Dobson says Cheslin Kolbe has made a major financial sacrifice to return to the Stormers, motivated by winning trophies rather than winding down his career, while warning the franchise is close to its limit on high-profile signings.
Van Heerden's long road to Bok debut runs through Cape Town
Ruben van Heerden, 28, makes his Springbok debut against Wales at Kings Park on Saturday, with his move from Exeter Chiefs to the Stormers — where he developed into a No 5 and lineout leader after Marvin Orie's departure — proving the catalyst for his belated international call-up.
Van Heerden credits Stormers move as he prepares for belated Springbok debut against Wales
Ruben van Heerden makes his Springbok debut against Wales at Kings Park on Saturday, with the 28-year-old lock crediting his move to the Stormers — and his evolution into the No 5 jersey — as the turning point in a career that stalled at Exeter Chiefs before finding new life in Cape Town.
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.