Salmaan Moerat: Springboks Star Leaves South African Rugby Club for Europe

The Stormers are now searching for a new lock following the announcement that club captain and Springbok second-row Salmaan Moerat will leave Cape Town to join La Rochelle at the conclusion of the season.

Moerat departs with full support from the only professional team he has represented, beginning an overseas adventure where he will reunite with former Stormers teammate Dillyn Leyds, now a key figure at the European champions.

The 28-year-old is currently sidelined after toe surgery but is expected back in time for the United Rugby Championship (URC) playoff campaign.

Adding to the Stormers’ reshuffle, Moerat’s usual second-row partner, Ruben van Heerden, is also leaving, having signed with Montpellier.

Losing two first-choice locks leaves a major void in the squad. Existing options such as JD Schickerling, Adré Smith, Conor Evans, and Gary Porter, along with several developing players, are available. However, the team will likely look outside the Cape for a seasoned URC lock to bring experience to the side.

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Bulls lock Cobus Wiese has already turned down the chance to return to Cape Town, choosing to stay in Pretoria.

While wing depth is also a concern, it is not as urgent as the second-row situation. Seabelo Senatla’s calf injury has stretched resources, even as he returned from a long absence. Positively, Damian Willemse impressed during his first appearance on the right wing. Meanwhile, the Stormers are still determining the long-term role of Leolin Zas, with young talents Suleiman Hartzenberg and Joel Leotlela continuing to develop in the U23 squad.

The team plans to bolster its wing options cautiously, prioritising players who complement the system and could win over the DHL Stadium crowd — following the examples set by Willemse and flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Source: Briefly News