Stormers director of rugby John Dobson has signed a contract extension with the Cape Town-based United Rugby Championship (URC) club despite interest in his services from PREM outfit Gloucester.
Dobson has been part of the rugby landscape at the Stormers and Western Province for several years and guided the former to victory during the inaugural URC season in 2022 and also coached the latter when they won the Currie Cup 2017.
After being named as the Stormers‘ head coach in 2020, Dobson was appointed to the role of director of rugby in 2024 and he has now signed a four-year extension with the side, who are currently unbeaten in all competitions during the 2025/26 season and sitting pretty atop the URC table with 32 points amassed after winning all seven of their matches in that competition so far.
Negotiated a possible Gloucester move
However, Planet Rugby have ascertained from a reliable source at Gloucester Rugby that Dobson had conversations with the English club to become their director of rugby, but those negotiations broke down at the last minute.
That resulted in Dobson opting to continue with his work at the Stormers, who have also been bolstered in recent weeks with the news that star playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has signed a contract extension, while Springboks skipper will rejoin the club at the end of the current season.
Stormers Rugby chief executive Johan le Roux is delighted to retain Dobson’s services as director of rugby which is crucial in realising the ambitions set out as part of club’s ‘Project 2029′.
“John Dobson is the embodiment of what we stand for as a club. He is a homegrown coach who is incredibly passionate about this team, the region and the people who support us,” he said.
“We have set ourselves some lofty goals in Project 2029, but we have absolute confidence that if we are to reach them, then Dobbo is the man for the job.”
The Stormers’ director of rugby revealed that he has never been more energised to take on a challenge.
“With the support of our owners, we have managed to build some meaningful depth, which has translated into some positive results so far this season,” he explained.
“At the same time, we are investing in our future by recruiting the top junior talent in the country.”
Dobson was full of praise for the support he has received from the Stormers Rugby ownership, coaching team and support staff.
Working with ‘world-class professionals’
“We have some incredible people at this club, all in it together. The coaches and support staff I work with are world-class professionals, but also incredible people who put the club first in everything they do,” he said.
“The new ownership has made a huge impact, and we have never felt more aligned with everyone in the organisation than we do now. I’m really excited for what the future holds for all of us.”
He added that he is keen to see the Stormers’ ‘Project 2029’ through and help the club to reach greater heights.
“Most people know that this is my dream job, which I’ll never take for granted. I am very grateful for the opportunity to do what I love by contributing to the strength of this organisation and bringing joy to our supporters,” said Dobson.
“The rugby heritage and talent pool in this region is unrivalled, so this is a big responsibility and I’ll certainly do everything in my power to put our team at the top table of club rugby where they belong.”
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