Stormers snap up another De Villiers as top schoolboy talent is secured

NEWS: Thirteen of the top schoolboy players in South Africa are set to join the Stormers Rugby Institute in 2027.

It’s the next step in the franchise’s ‘Project 2029’.

Of the 13 players that will be based at the institute in 2027, two played for SA Schools in 2025 and three more featured for SA Schools A while still in Grade 11.

Oakdale loose forward Jacobus de Villiers (brother of Stormers flank Paul) and Grey College fullback Lamla Mgedezi will be looking to make it a second year representing SA Schools this year.

Paarl Gim scrumhalf Mickyle Booise and the Stellenberg pair of lock Juvan Burden and flyhalf/fullback Ethan van Biljon all played for SA Schools ‘A’ last year, and will have a place in the SA Schools side in their sights this year.

Booise is joined by fellow Paarl Gim stars Hendre van Zyl (loose forward), Ethan Barker (centre) and Bernhardt Schulze (lock) in committing their futures to Stormers Rugby.

De Villiers is one of three players from Oakdale who will be based at the institute next year with front row forwards Kyle Burger (loosehead prop) and Adrian Smith (hooker) also relocating from Riversdale to Stellenbosch.

Paul Roos captain and centre Tiaan Basson and Wynberg Boys flyhalf Achmat Behardien will also take the first steps in their professional rugby journey under the watchful eye of Jacques Hanekom at the institute, which is based at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport.

Explosive Northwood wing Anesu Kuzonyei and the mercurial Mgedezi are the only two players on the 2027 list who were been schooled outside of the Western Cape.

Director of Rugby John Dobson said that with talent like this joining the ranks at the institute next year, Project 2029 will take another leap forward.

“We’ve already seen the impact that the revival of the institute has had this year and once again, we have been able to attract the cream of the crop for 2027.

“This is a crucial building block in Project 2029 and we are very excited to see how these players develop and come through our system,” he said.

Dobson added that the intake for next year fits well within the Stormers Rugby contracting model and will help ensure that the right talent is developed in the right way to contribute to the future success of the club.

“There is so much talent in this region, and we have carefully selected this group, so we have full faith in these players who have decided to start their professional journey with us.

“We have also made some tactical acquisitions from outside of the Western Cape as we plan for the future and look to build a squad profile to help us compete with the best in the world and sustain the highest standards across the board,” he explained.

Following the revival of the institute this year, five of the players from the 2026 intake were named in the Junior Springbok squad for the upcoming Junior World Championship.

Markus Muller is one of the 12 players who have been based at the Stormers Rugby Institute this year, and he went on to make his Stormers debut against Glasgow Warriors in April before being named in the Springbok squad and featuring for South Africa ‘A’ against Zimbabwe in Gqeberha last weekend.

2027 Stormers Rugby Institute intake

Kyle Burger – Oakdale- (Loosehead prop)
Adrian Smith – Oakdale (Hooker)
Juvan Burden – Stellenberg – (Lock)
Bernhardt Schulze – Paarl Gim – (Lock)
Hendre van Zyl – Paarl Gim – (Loose forward)
Jacobus de Villiers – Oakdale – (Loose forward)
Mickyle Booise – Paarl Gim – (Scrumhalf)
Ethan van Biljon – Stellenberg – (Flyhalf/Fullback)
Achmat Behardien – WBHS – (Flyhalf)
Ethan Barker – Paarl Gim – (Centre)
Tiaan Basson – Paul Roos – (Centre)
Anesu Kuzonyei – Northwood – (Wing)
Lamla Mgedezi – Grey College – (Fullback)