John Dobson had a clear message of intent for the opposition as the DHL Stormers unveiled their new home and away jerseys for the coming Vodacom United Rugby Championship season. And it begins with his team’s theme for this season – Always the Hunters.
“Our theme for the season is ‘Always the Hunters’. It’s an acknowledgement to our sponsors and fans who want to see a DHL Stormers team that fights, is hungry and plays with the passion that won us the VURC in the first season. Without making it too personal, this year we are hunting Leinster,” Dobson said.
As a man who is always looking for innovative ways to inspire his players, Leinster represents a part of that bigger target for the DHL Stormers this season.
As Dobson explained, in the first season of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship the Vodacom Bulls knocked out Leinster in the semifinals to set up a final in Cape Town against the DHL Stormers. In the second season it was Munster who did the same.
“It wasn’t us who did it,” adds Dobson. “I want us to finish top this year, which means we would’ve hunted down Leinster. We want to repay everybody who was disappointed that we didn’t win two VURC finals in a row. The disappointment after we sold out the DHL Stadium in two hours and 36 minutes for this last final – faster than any test match. We will repay them all by hosting a final again this year and winning the VURC again. I’ve never felt this excited and confident at the start of a season. We will not finish this season wondering.”
The jersey unveiling revealed the team’s home and away kits designed with a very personal attention to detail that resonates with Dobson and this team as they prepare for the new season. The home kit has design elements of a DNA helix with the ‘number plate’ codes of the various municipalities in the Western Cape, reflecting the DNA of this team with its supporters and reminding them who they play for. And the away kit contains the vibrant colours of the traditional Bo Kaap houses and Muizenberg beach huts as well as a silhouette of the DHL Stadium for the team to literally carry as a reminder on their backs when away from home.
“From where we’ve come from five years ago to now makes me and the players quite emotional. We’ve been through some dark times and it feels like the DHL Stormers are more than back and are on the cusp of something really special. We have a new pitch, we have new ownership, and we have a fantastic squad.
“We know we’ve done something special here over the past two seasons and we’re driven to keep that going. We want to establish ourselves as one of the best rugby clubs in the world, and we’ve got to get better this year. We are on the cusp of something very special here.”