VIDEO: From a matric exam room to Stormers training
SPOTLIGHT: He had to get his mom to collect his matric results, because he was busy training with the Stormers.
Markus Muller, the Paarl Gymnasium captain and South Africa Under-18 star, attended his first Stormers training session this week.
It was on the same day he received his matric examination result.
Muller is one of several highly promising players who signed with the Stormers last year, all while still in school.
The Paarl Gimnasium duo of centre Muller and loose forward Quintin Potgieter, Rondebosch Boys loose forward Alutha Wesi, centre Randall-John Davids, and prop Matt van der Merwe, wing Jordan Steenkamp, hooker Altus Rabe and loose forward Gert Kemp from Paul Roos, Wynberg Boys flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed, Boland Landbou scrumhalf Jayden Brits and Grey College lock AJ Meyer have all signed with Stormers for 2026 and beyond.
Seasoned wing Leolin Zas said he has watched young Muller playing at the Craven Week schoolboy tournament, describing him as an ‘exciting’ prospect.
“His first day was yesterday [Tuesday], and he looked a bit nervous,” the 30-year-old back said of the 18-year-old.
“I can’t wait to share some things with him.”
Muller admitted he could not collect his matric results himself, as training with the Stormers was higher on the list of priorities.
“I asked my mom to collect my results,” he said in an interview conducted by veteran prop Neethling Fouche.
“During training, when I had time off, I looked at my phone, and my mom sent me a picture.”
He said he was ‘quite’ happy with having passed his matric exam.
“I was a bit nervous, but it was fun.”
The young midfielder said he would happily answer the Stormers’ call to pack down in a scrum if the need arises, but he would like to be part of a maul as well.
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Muller was described as the best schoolboy centre in the country last year.
Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson said that their contracting model is to look at local talent from the region first as a way to keep strengthening the pathway system.
Dobson said that the strong intake of local talent is extremely encouraging as the Stormers look to build significant depth by drawing on the best that the schools in the Western Cape have to offer.
“We have seen a few big success stories in recent years, with the likes of Damian Willemse, Salmaan Moerat, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, JD Schickerling and Suleiman Hartzenberg all coming through our system to become household names.
“We expect the same to happen with many of these players who will join our environment next year and we are not done here, with a few more significant names set to be added to this list in the near future,” he added.
@JanDKrugby
@rugby365com
* Additional video credit: @THESTORMERS
