The Stormers have landed a serious statement of intent for the future, securing 13 of South Africa’s most coveted schoolboy talents for their revamped Rugby Institute’s 2027 intake. It’s another calculated strike in their ambitious Project 2029, and the quality on this list is genuinely eye-catching.
This isn’t a scattergun approach. Director of Rugby John Dobson and his recruitment team have cherry-picked from the nation’s elite schools, banking on talent that’s already proven itself at the highest junior levels. Two of the incoming class represented SA Schools in 2025, whilst three more wore SA Schools ‘A’ colours, all whilst still in Grade 11.
Star power and sibling rivalry
Leading the charge is Oakdale loose forward Jacobus de Villiers, brother of current Stormers flanker Paul de Villiers, who’ll be gunning for a second consecutive SA Schools cap. Alongside him sits Grey College fullback Lamla Mgedezi, another player targeting back-to-back national schools honours.
Paarl Gim scrumhalf Mickyle Booise headlines a quartet from the school committing to Stellenbosch. He’s joined by loose forward Hendre van Zyl, centre Ethan Barker and lock Bernhardt Schulze, all part of Gim’s formidable production line. Booise, alongside Stellenberg lock Juvan Burden and flyhalf/fullback Ethan van Biljon, earned SA Schools ‘A’ recognition last season and will fancy their chances of elevation this year.
The Oakdale contingent is bolstered by front-row duo Kyle Burger (loosehead prop) and Adrian Smith (hooker), both relocating from Riversdal. Paul Roos skipper and centre Tiaan Basson, plus Wynberg Boys’ High School flyhalf Achmat Behardien, complete the Western Cape haul.
Explosive Northwood wing Anesu Kuzonyei and the mercurial Mgedezi are the only two recruits schooled beyond the province’s borders, deliberate “tactical acquisitions,” according to Dobson.
Building blocks and big dreams
The institute’s revival has already delivered tangible returns. Five players from the 2026 intake earned Junior Springbok selection for the upcoming World Rugby U20 Championship, whilst Markus Müller made his DHL Stormers debut against Glasgow Warriors in April before graduating to SA ‘A’ honours against Zimbabwe last weekend. That’s a pathway proving its worth in real-time.
“We’ve already seen the impact that the revival of the institute has had this year and, once again, we have been able to attract the cream of the crop for 2027,” Dobson said.
“This is a crucial building block in Project 2029, and we are very excited to see how these players develop and come through our system,” Dobson told KickOff.com
Dobson emphasised the strategic fit within the Stormers’ contracting philosophy, blending regional loyalty with targeted external recruitment to build a squad capable of competing with the world’s best.
With the institute based at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport, these 13 youngsters are stepping into a proven production line. If the early evidence holds, the Stormers’ future looks frighteningly bright.
