The DHL Stormers have taken a significant step towards sustaining their current growth and success with the announcement that John Dobson will continue in his role as head coach for the next four years.
There have been some significant announcements around player contracts in recent times, but given his burgeoning reputation as a coach and his standing as the architect of the team culture that continues to see the Stormers defy the odds, Thursday’s confirmation that Dobson will be around until at least 2027 is arguably the biggest yet.
The winner of the SA Coach of the Year award guided the Stormers through a fairytale 2021/2022 first season in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, where they were rank outsiders at the start, and has continued the momentum this season.
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— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) February 23, 2023
DHL Stormers Head Coach John Dobson has signed a contract extension which will keep him at the helm until at least 2027.
???'This is a dream job for me and I wouldn't want to coach anywhere else' https://t.co/Rn0DkiJOLm
As it stands, the Stormers are second on the overall log and near certainties to finish there, while they are also comfortably out front in the race for the SA Shield they won last year as a prelude to winning the main event.
You can just ask those from other franchises who try to recruit Stormers players about how hard it is to draw people away from Dobson’s culture, and the fact that he has signed on for another four years should ensure that the Cape franchise continues to be a draw for players.
The Stormers are third when it comes to player budget, ahead of the Emirates Lions but behind the Cell C Sharks and the Vodacom Bulls, and it is Dobson’s presence that ensures that the Stormers continue to punch above their weight pending the arrival of an equity partner that will give them more financial muscle.
In addition to getting the Stormers onto a winning path, Dobson has also overseen the development of a vibrant, exciting playing style that has made the Stormers a joy to watch and which conforms to the DNA of a region that has always leaned towards the running game.
HE HAS WON AT EVERY LEVEL
Following the Stormers’ win in the URC last year, Dobson has now won at every level of the provincial/regional game, having started out winning the national under-21 championship with Western Province in 2010.
Before that he had been successful with UCT in the Varsity Cup. He also has a Vodacom Cup title in his CV, with his WP team winning a memorable final against Griquas a decade ago, and of course he guided the WP senior team to the 2017 Currie Cup trophy with a great win over the Sharks in the Durban final.
Dobson has been courted by outside clubs but having been brought up in the Cape and supporting WP, he has proved difficult to budge, even at the time when the WP landscape was particularly uncertain given the conflict at administrative level and the well documented financial woes of the Cape union.
By signing the contract extension, the Stormers can be assured he won’t be going anywhere soon.
“I grew up in Cape Town as part of a rugby family (his late father Paul was a top referee and renowned rugby historian), so this is a dream job for me and I wouldn’t want to coach anywhere else,” said Dobson.
“I have been very lucky to be surrounded by an outstanding coaching and support team and I am very excited about what we can achieve together in the coming years. This is a special place and we have a real connection with the people who support the team, which makes for such a stimulating and rewarding environment.
“The structures we have set up here and the continuous stream of talent coming through in the region will hopefully combine to put this team where it should be, which is among the best in the world.”
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— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) February 23, 2023
??We will have Dobbo at the helm until at least 2027. #iamastormer #dhldelivers pic.twitter.com/5syFQD4M5k