Stormers coach Dobson denies reckless spending

Advertisers may love to say “but wait, there’s more”, but for Western Province rugby it is a case of it being far less.

At least when it comes to the money they are spending on players, and in particular on young Springbok fullback Damian Willemse.

Recent reports have alleged Willemse is earning R5.6 million a year to play for the Stormers, linking the extraordinary salary to allegations of reckless spending at the troubled union.

But Stormers coach John Dobson on Tuesday lashed out at the allegedly unethical reporting of individual players’ salaries and stated that the figures were wrong.

ALSO READ: Dobson hails Pieter-Steph du Toit: ‘A remarkable performance’

“We have done very well to retain most of the squad we have until 2024 and we are still 15.3% below the salary cap,” Dobson said.

“So we are certainly not throwing money at players as alluded to, and that’s with several Springboks staying, even though some of them were offered more elsewhere. Some players were even approached outside the transfer window.

“A line was absolutely crossed when Damian Willemse had an incorrect salary published. The figure was considerably off. It is much less than reported.

“To speculate about someone’s salary and then not get it right affects both the player and the cohesion of the squad.”

Dobson also confirmed that negotiations with 2019 World Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit were ongoing, saying that the talismanic Springbok had a strong affinity with the Western Cape.

“We’ve been talking to Pieter-Steph the whole year and he wanted to get back on to the field first before making any decisions,” Dobson said.

“He has not signed anywhere overseas yet and we have planned for both scenarios – him staying with us or leaving – in our budget.”