Former London Irish wing joins Stormers

NEWS: The Stormers have confirmed that former London Irish fullback Ben Loader has joined them ahead of the 2023/24 season.

The 24-year-old Loader is former England U20 international and has played all his professional rugby to date for London Irish, making his debut at the age of just 20 and accumulating 73 senior caps since then.

Loader was impressive for the London club in an Champions Cup encounter at the Cape Town Stadium in December and will now call the iconic stadium home, having signed a two-year deal.

Standing at an imposing 1.88 metres, Loader is an explosive runner who will add yet more firepower out wide for the Stormers.

Head Coach John Dobson said that Loader will be a great fit for the Cape Town based teams’ style of rugby.

“Ben is a player with considerable natural ability, he has pace and power in abundance and fits our game model perfectly.

“We are looking forward to the impact he will have here, as we approach another demanding season,” he said.

Loader has already been training with his new teammates and said that he is looking forward to embracing this new challenge in Cape Town.

“Having played in Cape Town before, I understand what this team can do and the incredible support they enjoy in what is a beautiful and vibrant city.

“I can’t wait to get stuck in and become part of what is clearly something special in a renowned rugby city.

“The type of rugby that the Stormers play is something that really excites me and I’m really looking forward to connecting with my new teammates and coaches and taking my game to the next level here,” he said.