The Haashim Pead transfer saga appears to have reached its conclusion after the Stormers announced their United Rugby Championship squad for the upcoming season without the Junior Springbok scrumhalf.
IOL Sport reported on Wednesday that the Stormers walked away from a deal to bring young scrumhalf Pead back to Cape Town after failing to reach an agreement with the Lions over a transfer fee.
The Lions played hardball and reportedly asked for a steep fee to release the talented 20-year-old from his contract.
Pead, who was reportedly willing to contribute to the fee, is contracted to the Johannesburg franchise until 2028, but there was significant movement behind the scenes over the past week as the Stormers attempted to get a deal over the line.
It now seems the Bo-Kaap-born scrumhalf will stay in Johannesburg, with the Stormers confirming Stefan Ungerer, Imad Khan, Cobus Reinach, Ezekiel Ngobeni, and Jayden Brits as their No 9 options.
These players form part of a 56-man squad for the 2026/27 season, which will be captained by Ruhan Nel and features a host of familiar names, including Springboks Siya Kolisi, Wilco Louw, and Cheslin Kolbe, who all began their professional careers with the franchise.
In total, the squad features 17 internationals, including 15 Springboks lined up alongside four starlets from the Junior Springboks’ championship-winning side earlier this year.
The Stormers open the season with a two-match URC tour, taking on Connacht in Galway before heading to Edinburgh. The team then travels back to Cape Town for a South African derby against the Sharks on 10 October in a match that could feature a raft of Springboks.
Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson believes this is the deepest Stormers squad in recent seasons, in line with the stated aims of Project 2029.
“Last season, we fielded a team that had 1,569 Stormers caps between them, which was the most in the history of the club and a marker that we want to build on as we seek to realise the goals of Project 2029,” Dobson said.
“Given the experienced core who have stayed loyal to us for so long, the iconic players returning to the fold, and the young talent coming through our system, we feel well-positioned to build on last season, which saw us host play-off rugby in Cape Town and push some of the best club teams in the world in knock-out matches on their home turf.
“We have a solid base of experienced players who form the backbone of the squad, with the intention to compete seriously on all fronts this season, while we also have the talent pipeline in place, with the Stormers Rugby Institute continually developing players ready to step into the senior squad.
“We face a challenging start to the season, but after putting in the work in pre-season this group is ready to represent our fans, and we cannot wait to get started in Galway next week.”
Stormers 26/27 squad (caps in brackets)
Props: Neethling Fouché (114), Oli Kebble (57), Sazi Sandi (52), Wilco Louw (52), Vernon Matongo (22), Ntuthuko Mchunu (19), Zachary Porthen (15), Hencus van Wyk (2), Herman Lubbe* (1), Olly Reid* (1)
Hookers: André-Hugo Venter (89), JJ Kotzé (58), Lukhanyo Vokozela (4), Vernon Paulo (0), Luca Bakkes (0)
Locks: JD Schickerling (74), Adré Smith (69), Connor Evans (40), Gary Porter (19), Riley Norton* (0)
Loose forwards: Deon Fourie (141), Siya Kolisi (118), Marcel Theunissen (95), Evan Roos (87), Ben-Jason Dixon (86), Hacjivah Dayimani (64), Paul de Villiers (36), Keke Morabe (19), Louw Nel (13), Ruan Ackermann (10), Wandile Mlaba* (2), Divan Fuller* (0)
Scrumhalves: Stefan Ungerer (47), Imad Khan (18), Cobus Reinach (9), Ezekiel Ngobeni (0), Jayden Brits* (0)
Flyhalves: Jean-Luc du Plessis (61), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (53), Jurie Matthee (29), Yaqeen Ahmed* (1), Kyle Smith* (0)
Centres: Ruhan Nel (90), Wandisile Simelane (41), Jonathan Roche (16), Markus Muller* (1), Josh Boulle (0)
Wings: Leolin Zas (99), Seabelo Senatla (74) Cheslin Kolbe (49), JC Mars* (3), Mfundo Ndhlovu (1), Joel Leotlela (0), Gino Cupido* (0)
Fullbacks: Damian Willemse (118), Warrick Gelant (77)
* denotes under-21 players
