Springboks skipper Siya Kolisi’s stint with the Sharks will come to an end and after the Stormers confirmed that he will be rejoining them at the conclusion of the current season.

The 34-year-old will return to the Cape Town-based outfit in July 2026 and fulfil a crucial role mentoring the next generation as the club continues to build their depth and maturity as part of Project 2029.

Move allows Kolisi to be closer to his family

The move will allow Kolisi to be closer to his family and also make a meaningful contribution to the Stormers where his professional career started after leaving school.

The experienced loose forward is now poised to add to his 118 appearances for the Stormers which he made between 2012 and 2020.

Kolisi was also appointed as Stormers captain in 2017 before taking up the same position with the Springboks the following year. He went on to captain South Africa to back-to-back Rugby World Cup triumphs in 2019 and 2023.

Stormers chief executive Johan le Roux was delighted to welcome Kolisi back to the club.

“Siya is a national icon who has such a strong connection to our team and our supporters. He is also a family man who wants to be there for his children as much as possible,” he said.

“These are values that resonate with our club and given the significance of our heritage in defining where we want to go, we are very happy to welcome Siya back to hopefully see out his career in the jersey he wore when it started.

Kolisi revealed that returning to Cape Town was a significant moment for him and his family.

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“I have such incredible memories of my time at the DHL Stormers, the way I was embraced by the fans in my formative years has never left me,” he explained.

“My family is in Cape Town and it is important to me to be close to them. This move gives me the chance to do that while also giving back to the team and fans who made such a big contribution to the player and person I am today.

‘Looking forward to contributing in any way I can’

“I am looking forward to contributing in any way I can to the future success and happiness of this special club and its incredible supporters,” he said.

Stormers director of rugby John Dobson is confident that Kolisi will add value to the squad in ways that no other player could.

“We have got an outstanding crop of loose forwards in our squad and a number of very strong young leaders, with the last three Junior Springbok captains all on our books,” he said.

“Siya will be able to help develop these players and mentor them in a way that nobody else could, given what he has achieved and what he represents to all South Africans and especially our fans.

“We are very aware of the load that he has carried professionally and personally over the last few years, but what is so encouraging is the way that he has bought into helping us reach the goals we have set for ourselves in developing our squad as we build towards Project 2029.”

News of Kolisi’s return to the Stormers came after the URC table-toppers received another boost at the weekend with the announcement that Springboks playmaker Sacha-Feinberg Mngomezulu agreed terms to a new long-term contract.

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