Africa-Press – Lesotho. Stormers head coach John Dobson has said that, with a price tag worth “the GDP of Lesotho”, it is unlikely that Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe would be returning to the Cape Town franchise.
French club Toulon announced on Monday that Kolbe would be leaving at the end of the season after a mutual agreement to part ways. Kolbe, who made his name playing Super Rugby for the Stormers before taking his talents to France, had arrived at Toulon from Toulouse in 2021. Kolbe also won the Currie Cup with Western Province in 2014. Toulon’s statement also said that he is expected to announce his next move soon.
While a return to South African shores, more specifically the Atlantic seaboard, is a tempting thought, particularly after the serious injury to Seabelo Senatla who was involved in a car accident, Dobson said the Western Province Rugby Union, which is under administration, was not in a position to sign on Kolbe.
“I’ll tell you .
. they released his offer to us last week and they came back with a number that was probably the GDP of Lesotho,” Dobson told Cape Talk on Monday.
“We are in administration and that number is just impossible, but we definitely need to strengthen our outside backs.
[After Seabelo] Senatla’s serious injury, we are paper thin in that area, those two centres (Ruhan Nel and Dan du Plessis) are overplayed. As of today, we are scrambling for two backs. ”
Dobson also said that the Cape Town franchise were at pains to keep their top players at the club, with keen interest from other South African rugby franchises following a successful United Rugby Championship season.
“The Bulls and Sharks are responding dramatically to us being double Shield winners, so we have the same squad bar ‘Kitsie’ (Steven Kitshoff), we have someone to play in his jersey but not to replace him.
” Dobson was asked whether other players besides skipper Steven Kitshoff were leaving the franchise.
“No, Ernst van Rhyn is going to Sale (Sharks) and ‘Kitsie’, you can’t replace the irreplaceable. We’ve got Sti Sithole coming from the Lions and we are working on another prop,” he said.
“We have to or three, but we (Western Province Rugby Union) actually need the equity deal because we are in administration. My feeling is things are going to have to move very quickly otherwise we could miss them (new signings) next season. ”
With a new salary cap that has increased from R71 million to R85million – including four marquee players whose agreements would fall outside of that limit – introduced at the South African franchises, the MVM-backed Sharks in Durban, who have released Bok captain Siya Kolisi, and the Bulls, with billionaires Patrice Motsepe and Johann Rupert in co-ownership of the Pretoria club, may well be in the market for a new star signing.
The 2019 World Cup winner, who was a key player for Toulon in winning their first EPCR Challenge Cup, is expected to be included in the Springbok squad that will defend the World Cup title later this year.
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