The Stormers have confirmed the signing of Lleyton Davids, a 25-year-old winger from Bonnievale, who has been making waves in Boland club rugby. Davids, a former three-time South African senior triple jump champion, caught the attention of the Stormers' coaching staff while playing for Robertson Town this season, scoring 31 tries in 19 games. His impressive performances earned him an invitation to train with the Stormers in Cape Town.
Director of Rugby John Dobson praised Davids' incredible potential, citing his speed and instinct for rugby. Dobson noted that Davids' performances in training throughout pre-season were enough to confirm that he has serious potential to become a star for the Stormers. Davids' speed, with a reported 100m time of roughly 10.30 seconds, has drawn comparisons to a "Robertson Express".
Davids' journey to professional rugby is an unconventional one. He hails from the small town of Bonnievale, where he lives with his mother, Brumilda, who represented Boland in volleyball and achieved regional colours in netball and athletics. Davids has now left his job at the local municipality, where he worked as a civil general assistant in the water department, to pursue his dream of playing professional rugby for the Stormers.
Dobson highlighted the Stormers' recruitment system, which aims to identify talent beyond traditional player pathways in the region. He noted that while players are being identified at a young age and the Stormers Rugby Institute is developing the best talent, there is still much untapped potential in the region. Davids' signing is a testament to the effectiveness of this system.
Davids expressed his excitement at being given the opportunity to play for the Stormers, a team he has grown up watching. He said that training with the squad over the past months has been a dream come true, and he wants to show that he can keep improving and belong in what is one of the strongest squads in world club rugby.
The Stormers' decision to sign Davids has been praised by his agent, Shafiek Mouton, who went above and beyond to make the signing happen. With his speed and rugby instincts, Davids has the potential to make a significant impact at a higher level, and the Stormers will be looking to develop him as a player to ensure that he can make a lasting contribution to the team.
Key points
- The Stormers have signed 25-year-old winger Lleyton Davids, a former national triple jump champion, after he impressed in training and a pre-season friendly.
- Davids has the potential to become a star for the Stormers, according to Director of Rugby John Dobson, who praised his speed and instinct for rugby.
- Davids' signing is a testament to the Stormers' recruitment system, which aims to identify talent beyond traditional player pathways in the region.
