Dobbo hails ‘progressive’ SA Rugby for naming three young Stormers in Bok squad

John Dobson, director of rugby for Stormers, expressed his delight and surprise at the unexpected inclusion of three young Stormers players in the Springbok squad for the final four Nations Championship Tests next month. The Stormers boss named his matchday 23 to face Ulster in Cape Town on Saturday, and among the six uncapped players in the 37-man national squad are centre Markus Muller, 19, flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed, and lock Riley Norton, both 20. Another 20-year-old, Bulls utility back Luan Giliomee, also features in the squad.

Dobson noted that he never anticipated these young players to be called up so quickly, stating, "I envisioned Riley to be [in the Bok squad], but the news sort of leaked out earlier this week, not officially. But there were strong rumours about Yaqeen and Markus." He praised the progressive nature of South African rugby for this decision, acknowledging that it might make managing both the Stormers and Springboks challenging.

The first two players included in the national squad, Muller and Norton, had previously made an impact on the SA A team, helping them defeat Zimbabwe 40-0 in June. Norton also played in the Springbok team that beat the Barbarians 80-31 on the same day. Dobson expressed his belief that Yaqeen and Muller would be the future of South African rugby, commending their talent and potential.