Damian Willemse reaches 100-start milestone in sold-out Stormers–Bulls derby

Damian Willemse will reach a significant milestone on Saturday evening when he starts in the Stormers XV for the 100th time, leading his side into a sold-out United Rugby Championship north-south derby against the Bulls at the DHL Stadium.

The landmark occasion is made even more meaningful by the return of fellow Springbok Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who is back from injury and straight into the starting line-up for the Stormers’ first match of 2026.

Kick-off is at 6pm, with a capacity crowd expected to create an electric atmosphere for one of the biggest fixtures in club rugby.

Willemse, a central figure in the Stormers’ rise over recent seasons, will line up in midfield alongside Wandisile Simelane. Feinberg-Mngomezulu takes his place at flyhalf, where he links up with experienced scrumhalf Cobus Reinach in an exciting halfback combination.

The only change to the back three sees Suleiman Hartzenberg earning a start on the right wing after making an impact off the bench in the previous win over the Lions a fortnight ago.

In the forward pack, director of rugby John Dobson has opted for a blend of physicality and continuity. Ali Vermaak starts at loosehead prop, while JD Schickerling partners captain Salmaan Moerat in the second row. One of the more eye-catching selections comes at openside flank, where Ruan Ackermann gets the starting nod ahead of specialist fetcher Paul de Villiers.

The call suggests Dobson is prioritising physicality and ball-carrying from the outset, with De Villiers set to bring his breakdown expertise later in the contest.

The replacement forwards include Adré Smith, Ruben van Heerden, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Sazi Sandi and Lukhanyo Vokozela, giving the Stormers plenty of options as the intensity ramps up.

Dobson said the occasion and the challenge of facing their traditional rivals have the entire group excited.

“This is one of the biggest club rugby matches in the world and it will be played in front of a sold-out stadium,” he said.

“It should be an incredible experience for everyone there. We know we’ll need to be at our absolute best for the full 80 minutes to get the result, and that’s a challenge the entire squad is looking forward to.”

The Stormers confirmed no tickets will be sold at the stadium.

Stormers XV

15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Ruan Ackermann, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ali Vermaak.

Replacements: 16 Lukhanyo Vokozela, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Adré Smith, 20 Ruben van Heerden, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Stefan Ungerer, 23 Jurie Matthee.