John Dobson has confirmed that the DHL Stormers will use the final round of the Currie Cup as a warm-up match for the Vodacom URC season.
DHL Western Province have opted to use the Currie Cup to blood youngsters and log playing time for more senior players who didn’t feature much during the 2023-24 URC.
Wing JC Mars, Junior Bok captain Zachary Porthen and flyhalf Kyle Smith became the latest WP debutants against the Griffons on Saturday, following in the footsteps of flanks Divan Fuller and CJ Velleman, centre Jonathan Roche, wing Jared Africa and front rowers Vernon Matongo and Mhleli Khuzwayo.
However, speaking to Sunday newspaper Rapport, Dobson confirmed that Province will select a Stormers team in their final-round Currie Cup game against Griquas in Kimberley on 6 September.
“Two things are important to us,” Dobson explained. “For now, we want to give a chance to play in the Currie Cup to the players who did not get enough game time in the URC. This will be done on an individual basis.
“Then we are also trying to get some youngsters, such as Divan Fuller, through the Currie Cup. We approach it player by player.
“We do plan to select our URC team for our final Currie Cup league game. We consider it a practice match with a view to the URC.”
This means that the likes of Dan du Plessis, Ruhan Nel, Leolin Zas and JD Schickerling could all don the blue-and-white stripes in Kimberley.
The Stormers will get their URC campaign under way with a north-south derby against the Vodacom Bulls in Cape Town on Saturday, 21 September – the same day as the Currie Cup final.
Bulls president Willem Strauss, meanwhile, told Rapport that they will continue with the same group of coaches and players in the final round of the Currie Cup.
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
