With the Stormers set to play their rugby at Cape Town Stadium in 2021, next year is the team’s final season at Newlands.
And Stormers coach John Dobson believes it will be a big motivating factor not only for the players, but for fans as well.
Opened in 1888, with the first official match at the ground being played by Villager and Stellenbosch in 1890, Newlands is the home of Western Province rugby and has been for more than a century now.
But with the union’s financial woes well documented, it has been reported by TimesLive that “Investec has acquired development rights to the stadium for R110m”.
CONCERNED: Coach Dobson. Picture: BackpagePix.
As for WP Rugby, they will be the anchor tenant at Cape Town Stadium.
Of the season possibly being their last at the home of Cape rugby, Dobson says: “From a business point of view in terms of getting people to the ground... that’s powerful.
“[It will] evoke a lot of passion under the players - everyone wants to say I played at Newlands... it’s going to be pretty special.”
OUT WITH THE OLD: Newlands. Picture: Ian landsberg.
With World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi leading the team, Dobson is hoping to turn it into a successful final hurrah at Newlands.
One of his biggest challenges will be to get everyone on the same page.
With a number of his players having won the World Cup, Dobson admits that stopping the superstar syndrome will be a challenge.
IN WITH THE NEW: CT Stadium. Picture: Ross Jansen/African News Agency.
He says: “We worked very hard on trying to reset the culture.
“I think one of the reasons why Stormers haven’t been successful [in the past] is that we’ve always had a sort of stratified team.
“I think Rassie [Erasmus] used to call it the old purple squad, which were the really big names - guys that came here with Saabs and Range Rovers. And then you have Nic Groom coming with a Citi Golf and parking outside.
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“Our big thing is trying to sell them [the superstars] what we’re trying to do here.
“I don’t think we’ll win if they stay as superstars - Siya Kolisi’s phone must be going insane.
“It’s a big challenge for us.”