Salmaan Moerat back as Stormers captain after Kitshoff departure

Stormers lock Salmaan Moerat has been named as the team’s new captain for the coming United Rugby Championship (URC) and Challenge Cup season, after the departure of previous captain Steven Kitshoff to Ulster.

Moerat is no stranger to the role, having led the team in previous campaigns. The 25-year-old was in fact the first player to captain the Stormers in the URC back in 2021, when he acted as co-captain alongside Kitshoff and was at the helm against Dragons in Gqeberha last season.

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A product of the Western Province rugby system, Moerat comes from a renowned rugby family and has captained Western Province at age-group level before, going on to lead both the SA Schools and Junior Springbok teams.

The imposing lock made his Stormers debut at the age of just 21 in 2018 and has since established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the second row.

He made his Springbok debut against Wales last year, but his season was cut short by a serious knee injury which he picked up in a Champions Cup clash at the Cape Town Stadium in December.

Having worked hard to regain full fitness, Moerat is ready to lead the Stormers when the new season gets underway in October.

Obvious choice

Stormers coach John Dobson said that Moerat was the obvious choice to take over the captaincy reins.

“Salmaan is a fantastic rugby player, a proven leader and most importantly a top human being who embodies what we want our team to be about,” said Dobson.

“He and his family are part of the proud rugby heritage of the region and I know that the team will be in safe hands on the pitch with him at the helm.”

Moerat said that he cannot wait to do his part as captain to help take the Stormers forward in the new season.

“It is a huge honour to captain the Stormers and certainly not something that I will take for granted,” said Moerat.

“I know how much this team means to the people who support us and I’ll be doing everything I can to continue making them proud of us.

“I couldn’t be happier to be back to full fitness and putting in the hard work in pre-season with the rest of the team. We have a lot to be excited about and I know the motivation levels among the squad are at an all-time high.”