Duvenage's special journey to Stormers milestone
SPOTLIGHT: Stormers scrumhalf Dewald Duvenage reflected on his journey to reaching a milestone moment in the Stormers jersey.
Duvenage will run out for his 100th Stormers appearance at the Cape Town Stadium this Friday evening against the Ospreys.
The 37-year-old veteran scrumhalf is in his third stint with the Stormers since making his debut against the Lions in 2009, with stints in between with Perpignan and Benetton.
He also served as a player-coach for Western Province in the 2025 Currie Cup season.
He also had a similar role in his time with Benetton in Italy.
Duvenhage spoke about his journey to 100 Stormers games.
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“It’s been a minute. It began in 2009, and it’s been a journey,” Duvenhage told @rugby365com.
“I’ve been away to France [Perpignan], came back, went to Italy [Benetton] and returned, and I’m very fortunate to play my 100th match for the Stormers.
“I can’t compare my love for the franchise [with any other team].
“At Perpignan I played 72 games and at Benetton I left on 97 caps.
“So if I can play 100 games for a franchise [it will be great] and my love for this team will forever be No.1.”
Duvenage also reflected on his journey with the Stormers and the highlights of it.
He mentioned his fondest moments and what it meant to play with some of the sport’s biggest names.
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“Obviously, the first time you pull on the [Stormers] jersey is always special.
“It’s tough to recall everything. There are a lot of highlights, especially off the field.
“Sometimes, as a player, the best moments are off the field, and I won’t delve too deep into that.
“But just the bonding on tours to Australasia back in the [Super Rugby] days with special players around me.
“I’m really fortunate to have played with legends, but I’m still going.
“A big highlight for me was that [Super Rugby] Final we lost to the Bulls in Soweto. That was really special and stands out.
“Another one I won’t forget is the game against the Blues at Eden Park.
“I wasn’t supposed to play, and then I ended up finishing the game at flyhalf and kicked the winning conversion.
“And to be fair, it’s not the winning kick that stands out. It’s more of the half-time talk we had.
“Schalla [Schalk Burger] gave us a chat when we were far behind on the scoreboard.
“Just for a background, everyone was making plans and Schalla, as a leader, came and wound everybody up, including the coaches and said ‘this is going to happen’.
“And what he said precisely turned out that way. That’s quite a memory that gives me goosebumps.
He added: “In the end, all I wanted was to play for the Stormers.
“When I came back, there was no atmosphere and spirit like here. The team you want to play for is the Stormers.
“There’s always a cliché about the family, but this is the family.
“You play for the fans and it’s a special place to be at and I’m really fortunate.”
