Stormers head to Hermanus
Stormers head coach Allister Coetzee has named a 36-man squad for next week's pre-season camp in Hermanus ahead of the Super Rugby season.
Springboks Gio Aplon, Andries Bekker, Schalk Burger, Deon Carstens, Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh, Eben Etzebeth, Bryan Habana, Tiaan Liebenberg and Duane Vermeulen were all named in the group along with new faces, Ruan Botha (lock), Patric Cilliers (prop), Elton Jantjies (flyhalf) and Jaco Taute (fullback).
The squad also includes promising schoolboy flank Sikumbuzo Notshe and Under-21 stars Pat Howard, Tim Swiel and Damian de Allende.
Four players, JP du Plessis, Siyabonga Ntubeni, Marcel Brache and Gary van Aswegen, were not considered because of injury, whilst flyhalf Peter Grant is still playing for his club in Japan.
Stormers pre-season camp squad: Gio Aplon, Ederies Arendse, Don Armand, Andries Bekker, Ruan Botha, Schalk Burger, Nizaam Carr, Deon Carstens, Patric Cilliers, Kurt Coleman, Damian de Allende, Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh, Dewaldt Duvenage, Rynhardt Elstadt, Eben Etzebeth, Deon Fourie, Nic Groom, Bryan Habana, Brok Harris, Pat Howard, Elton Jantjies, Steven Kitshoff, Berton Klaasen, Siya Kolisi, Tiaan Liebenberg, Frans Malherbe, Sikumbuzo Notshe, Joe Pietersen, Michael Rhodes, Louis Schreuder, De Kock Steenkamp, Tim Swiel, Jaco Taute, Gerhard van den Heever, Duane Vermeulen.
Pre-season fixtures:
February 2: v Cheetahs (Bloemfontein)
February 9: v Boland Cavaliers (Wellington)
