AS A TWICE-published author, Stormers head coach John Dobson knows all about the power of storytelling.
Dobson has a degree in creative writing. His novels are satirical and revolve around Jason ‘The Jasonator’ Brydon, a rather tragic figure who lacks self-awareness. It’s not quite relevant to winning rugby trophies but the point is that the Stormers boss knows how to put a story together.
We know from the likes of Ronan O’Gara in La Rochelle that ‘themeing’ is a powerful tool in sport. Everyone wants to win, but the best coaches these days know their players can produce just a little bit extra if they believe in a powerful why.
Why should I get back to my feet and make another tackle? Why should I chase that kick as hard as I possibly can when my lungs and legs are already burning deeply? Why should I keep tackling and carrying and rucking and mauling?
Dobson is another of the coaches who always tries to add extra layers of motivation by making his team part of a story. In the Stormers’ case, their mission has been to ‘Make Cape Town Smile.’ It’s a theme they’ve repeatedly leaned on in recent years.
The province of Western Cape on South Africa’s southwestern coastline is rugby mad and Dobson believes that the Stormers are barely scratching the surface of its potential, with more than seven million people living in the region.
In fairness, the Stormers have already captured the imagination of huge swathes of the population. The franchise might be new in the URC but they have plenty of history since being born out of the existing Western Province side in the late 1990s, even if there was a lack of trophies. Three times they finished runners-up in Super Rugby, while they topped the South African conference five times.
The move up to the URC has been a roaring success, with the Stormers winning it at the first time of asking last season. They find themselves back in the final against Munster at home in Cape Town tomorrow. So there have been plenty of smiles around the place.
This decider at the 55,000-capacity DHL Stadium, where the Stormers relocated from Newlands Stadium in 2020, sold out in just two hours and 26 minutes. That’s after hosting crowds of 47,000 and 44,000 for their recent knock-out games against Connacht and the Bulls. Tickets for the final once again started from the equivalent of around €3, with the Stormers keen for all walks of society to have access to their team.
It helps that there’s an excellent side to watch. Dobson’s ascension to the head coach role in 2019 has been key to everything. He played for Western Province once upon a time, knew the rugby landscape deeply, and had a real passion to make the Stormers great.
But Dobson’s initial period in charge was rocky, through no fault of his own. The Stormers faced major financial issues. In short, the Western Province rugby union had left itself in a deep hole. By 2021, when they joined the URC, they were in administration. There were fears about the Stormers surviving at all. The consortium that eventually bought the Sharks tried to buy the Stormers, but that deal collapsed.
Some huge names left. Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, hooker Bongi Mbonambi, back row Pieter-Steph du Toit, second row Eben Etzebeth, centre Damian de Allende. World-class players and influential figures within the squad.
So Dobson had to get on the phone and do his recruitment on the cheap.
Out-half Mannie Libbok joined in 2021 when no one else wanted him. Now there are calls for Libbok to play a key role with the Springboks. Back row Hacjivah Dayimani, a native of Cape Town, came in when no one wanted him either. Dayimani has grown into a star, embracing the public profile his skills have earned. There have been other smart pick-ups and these days, Dobson says he’s the one taking calls from players who want to join the Stormers.
But local talent remains key. Damian Willemse, Frans Malherbe, captain Steven Kitshoff, Marvin Orie, the list goes on. So many of the Stormers players hail from Cape Town or the Western Cape and care deeply about representing the region.
It’s a diverse squad, including players who began life in township shacks and those who rose through some of the most prestigious and richest schools in South Africa. Dobson has been eager for the whole of South Africa to be represented in his group.
The culture in his squad has been at the heart of it all. The Stormers want to make their people proud and happy. Dobson likes sharing a story about a policeman in one of the local townships telling him how gender-based violence decreases on the nights the Stormers win.
Dobson wants every seat in the stadium full, every bar and shebeen packed to the rafters when the Stormers play away from home. The better kick-off times in the URC, as opposed to the wildly different Super Rugby time zones, have helped hugely.
Dobson’s guiding principles are that his players find their work fun, focus on that mission of making people smile, and also have a great sense of belonging to the group. His reward for creating a positive environment is the loyalty and adoration of his players.
As Munster know, the Stormers are pretty good at rugby too. They excel in ‘transition’ phases of the game when the ball has just been turned over. Willemse, Libbok, and others can cut teams apart in the blink of an eye. Opposition errors are punished in lethal fashion. Exciting, attacking rugby is in the Stormers’ DNA.
But they’re good at kicking too and have a strong set-piece. Their defence is run by the intense and vocal Norman Laker, who learned his trade from none other than Jacques Nienaber. It’s an ultra-aggressive defence that can create try-scoring chances for the Stormers, but also their opposition at times.
On top of it all, the Stormers can be mean. They don’t back down from confrontation. As hooker Joseph Dweba proclaimed in that now infamous leaked video of the Stormers celebrating getting a home final against Munster, the plan is to “f*ck them up.”
The Stormers are expecting a spicy battle similar to the one when Munster visited Cape Town and beat them last month, ending their two-year unbeaten record at home.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of niggle in this game,” Dobson told Kfm Mornings radio show in Cape Town this week.
“It’s quite a personal one. We had that horrible video leaked. They came and beat our unbeaten record.
“There are a couple of players there we don’t like in their team. A lot of needle in the last game. I think they’re going to try and get under our skins, which is definitely part of the plan.
“Without getting too technical, they want to get into our 22, they’re like the Bulls team, that’s where they become really become efficient. The way they get in there, because our defence is very good, is by us conceding penalties. So they’re going to try and provoke us to give penalties away or earn penalties, whether it’s a maul or something like that.
“It’s going to be hard for our players because there’s going to be a lot of venom, a lot of emotion invested in this game but at the same time, we have to be very, very cold-blooded.”
These comments might be perceived as inflammatory in some quarters but Dobson doesn’t shy away from giving strong opinions on the record. As the co-founder of the Rugby365 website, Dobson thoroughly understands that rugby needs to continue to grow its public profile. Being open and entertaining in the media helps that mission.
Dobson knows that rivalries and the added element of spice make fans excited, so he doesn’t hold back.
He’s all in on the Stormers. There have been chances for him to go elsewhere. Connacht were interested before Andy Friend took over in 2019, while Dobson was also linked with the Scotland job until Gregor Townsend resigned.
Cape Town is where his heart is and he believes the mission is only really starting. The Stormers remain in administration and truthfully, it still sounds like a mess behind the scenes in the Western Province union. But Dobson knows that a better-run organisation can create an even stronger rugby team and an even bigger fanbase.
Munster have a whole other story behind them, but the Stormers’ journey is a powerful one too.
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