Followers of British soccer will be familiar with the concept of the January window, where clubs recruit and trade players mid-season to either bolster their playing ranks or their cash coffers. Well, while there is nothing official about it, the DHL Stormers have created a February window, with two important acquisitions having been made since the start of the month.
On Thursday it was confirmed that Vernon Hooker, a highly promising hooker who has impressed for the Toyota Cheetahs, has traded Bloemfontein with Cape Town with immediate effect. The Cheetahs actually announced the move a few weeks ago, but the deal must only have been properly finalised this week as the announcement has been held off until now.
Late last week another open secret was confirmed, that of the return of the rangy loose-forward Hacjivah Dayimani, who has returned on a short-term deal from playing club rugby in France.
The 57-capped Stormers player, who will be remembered for his social media posts following the Cape side’s triumph in the first ever URC final against the Bulls where he refused to remove his playing kit, was a key performer for the Cape side in the first three seasons of the Stormers’ participation in the northern hemisphere competitions.
His brilliance when it comes to linking forwards and backs was sorely missed after his departure two seasons ago and along with Manie Libbok, now in Japan, his absence has probably been a key factor in the Stormers’ attack perhaps lacking a bit of the bling of old.
A genuine hybrid player, meaning he doesn’t need to be converted into another position, Dayimani has the explosiveness and pace, plus the ball skill component, of an outside back.
One of the reasons he moved to France to play for Racing 92 under former England coach Stuart Lancaster was because he wanted to improve his core grafting forward skills and if he has done that then the Stormers have recruited a well-rounded and high skilled player.
WILL HELP STORMERS DEAL WITH LOCK CRISIS
As director of rugby John Dobson explained, Dayimani’s return is timeous as he has a bit of a lock crisis at the moment with both Ruben van Heerden and Salmaan Moerat injured, as well as another loose-forward in Ruan Ackermann.
Dobson didn’t say so, but the understanding is that Dayimani’s availability to play from next week’s URC derby against the Lions in Johannesburg will mean that regular blindside flank Ben-Jason Dixon can slot into the second row.
Dayimani, who was born in the Cape but started his senior career playing for the Lions, said he had added some new strings to his bow playing nearly two seasons in France.
“I have learned a thing or two in my time in France and I’m happy to be back in Cape Town to contribute wherever I can,” he said.
“This is my home and playing for this team means a lot to me. I intend to show that on the field and make some more great memories here.”
At this point Dayimani’s contract is just until the end of the season, with Paulo likely to have signed on on a more long term basis as the Stormers look to bolster their already impressive front row stocks going forward.
A contract extension for Springbok hooker Andre-Hugo Venter until 2029 has already been announced, and JJ Kotze is also a highly capable hooker who could grow further after keeping his career in low gear for a few years when he was studying, Paulo will add further to a group that also includes Lukhanyo Vokuzela, who has impressed for the Stormers when he has played for them. Veteran Bok Scarra Ntubeni is also still on the Stormers’ books.
PRODUCT OF OAKDALE
The powerful 24-year-old Paulo is a product of the Western Cape region after being born and raised in Riversdale and attending the nearby Oakdale Landbou College, which is becoming a factory for rugby players as it much as it is for farmers.
He went from there to play for the North West University Eagles and was a key part of the Varsity Cup winning team in 2023 before following up by making his professional debut for the Cheetahs later the same year.
Dobson said that Paulo’s clear natural abilities and his passion for the team made him an attractive prospect.
“Vernon has all the attributes to mix it with the best and we are confident that we can develop his game further in our system. He certainly has the drive to improve and compete in every area,” said Dobson.
“On top of all that he is also incredibly passionate about playing for this team, having grown up as a supporter of ours and we know that he will be putting all he has into representing our fans with pride when he gets the opportunity.”
Paulo said that he is determined to make the most of the move to Cape Town, and said he regarded the move as a bit of a homecoming for him as he will now be playing for the team he has supported his entire life.
“This is a dream come true for me, but this is just the start. I am going to work hard to be at my absolute best for this team and contribute to the cause,” he said.
“My father is from Langa and I have supported this team my whole life, so this is a homecoming of sorts for me. I want to show what this means to me by the way I play and hopefully add to the success of the team.”
Also in this window the Stormers have announced flyhalf Jurie Matthee extending his contract until 2029, in addition of course to the extension for Venter, as Dobson continues to work on what he calls his “Project 2029”.