'Cheslin, Kurt-Lee are my inspirations,' says new Stormers flyer Dylan Maart ahead of Lions clash

New Stormers sensation Dylan Maart is hoping to follow in the boot steps of his good friend Kurt-Lee Arendse to Springbok stardom.

The two wings are both 29 and have had to overcome tough starts in life before a gamble on rugby paid off.

Arendse worked in a butchery — “pork sausages were my speciality”, — as he put it, while Maart was a taxi guard in his youth and later a warehouse worker at a bottling plant.

Arendse’s rugby breakthrough has come much sooner than Maart’s — Arendse has already played 30 Tests since making his debut in 2022— but Maart feels it is better late than never.

Since quitting his day job two years ago and becoming a full-time professional at Griquas, the tries have flowed for the Wellington-born speedster, and he has popped up on the ‘big time’ radar.

After Maart helped the Griquas to the Currie Cup title, the Stormers were quick to invite him to Cape Town on a loan deal.

He scored a try on his Stormers debut against Munster in Limerick and last week backed it up with a brace against La Rochelle in the Champions Cup.

The next box for Maart to tick is a maiden appearance at the Cape Town Stadium, where the Stormers host the Lions on Saturday (3.30pm kick-off).

“The last few weeks have been like a dream,” Maart said. “I made my debut, played overseas for the first time, and we won our games.

“I’m very excited to play my first game at the DHL Stadium in front of the home crowd — these are exciting times for me.”

Maart admitted that his transition from warehouse worker to professional rugby player has been emotional for him.

“If I think of where I was a year ago to where I am now, I never thought I’d have the opportunity to play here at the Stormers, so I’m very grateful and very excited.”

Maart is unambiguous about the Springboks stars that inspired him to keep dreaming of the big time in rugby.

“For me growing up, it was Bryan Habana,” he said. “Now it is Cheslin Kolbe, as well as one of my friends, Kurt-Lee Arendse. He lives in Paarl, I’m from Wellington, so he’s a guy I look up to and can always ask if I need some advice.”

Maart’s success is all the more surprising because he was a late starter in the game.

“I played rugby in primary school, but nothing in high school, for various reasons,” Maart said. “Things weren’t good at home. There were many nights when there was no food, and we went to sleep hungry.”

He says the only way he could get to school was to work as a fee collector in taxis. He also managed to add food to the table.

But Maart kept his eye on the rugby ball.

He played a key role in the Boland Cavaliers winning promotion and silverware in the Currie Cup First Division. His next step up the ladder was a contract with Griquas.

Now he has taken his opportunity at the Stormers with both hands, and it is not impossible that he will one day play in the green and gold with his buddy, Arendse.