Despite being in the twilight of his career, new Stormers signing Cobus Reinach has revealed that he still has ambitions of representing South Africa at the next Rugby World Cup in 2027.
The experienced scrum-half made his revelation during a Stormers press conference earlier this week in the build-up to their eagerly anticipated derby with their arch-rivals in Cape Town on Saturday.
Reinach has hit the ground running since joining the Stormers and has caught the eye with some impressive performances for the Cape Town-based outfit during their unbeaten United Rugby Championship and Investec Champions Cup campaigns.
He has also shone for the Springboks in the international arena and cemented his spot as the world champions’ first choice number nine during the recent Autumn Nations Series.
Two-time Rugby World Cup winner
The 35-year-old was part of South Africa’s World Cup-winning squads in Japan and France in 2019 and 2023 respectively and, although Father Time is closing in on him, he feels he could still do a job for the Springboks at the global showpiece in Australia.
“I’d be lying if I said I’m not thinking about the 2027 World Cup,” said Reinach, who made his 50th Test appearance for the Boks against Wales last month.
“It can be done. You’ve got to look after yourself. Recovery, conditioning, and being honest with your body — rugby doesn’t stop.”
Despite making his intentions clear to continue with his international career, the former Sharks, Northampton Saints and Montpellier star is now fully focused on doing well for the Stormers and is looking forward to taking on the Bulls.
“I still have goals, but for now, it is contributing to the Stormers,” added Reinach.
“I haven’t played in South African derbies for a long time, and I’ve never played in this one. Just hearing the boys talk about it, you realise how big it is.
‘It’s a proper contest’
“It’s going to be physical, it’s going to be a full house, and it’s a proper contest.”
The Stormers v Bulls clash is arguably the biggest rivalry in South Africa and Reinach was asked how it compared with the other derbies he’s played in during his club stints in England and France.
“The East Midlands derby between the Northampton Saints and the Leicester Tigers is massive,” he said.
“In France, there are rivalries too, but this feels different. The north-south derby is something special in South African rugby.
“The recent Lions game was the first derby I had coming back, and it’s tough. You forget how tough it is to play against your own people.”
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