Sport trumps politics: Stormers fans vote with their feet, shun 'protest' for superb turnout

Thirty-thousand fans inside the stadium, 28 "protesters" outside.

There could hardly be a bigger statement telling rugby administrators in Cape Town that people are more into the actual sport above the politics of the sport than the one made by 30 701 Stormers fans at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

In the end, the "protest" against mother body SA Rugby’s administration of the Stormers’ parent union, Western Province, drew what some witnesses said were about 28 protesters.

All week, a disgruntled group of Western Province- affiliated clubs was intent on making a statement two hours before the Stormers hosted the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship (URC) by staging a march outside.

READ | Casual Stormers nearly collapse but squeak past Sharks in URC cliff-hanger

But the game wasn’t to be overshadowed as the Stormers recorded the most number of fans since the 30 300-odd in last year’s URC final against the Bulls. That game was Covid restricted but its 31 000 tickets were sold out.

Saturday’s was also their largest regular-season encounter since they hosted the Chiefs in front of 35 000 at Newlands in a 34-26 Super Rugby round-robin win at Newlands in 2017. That was the Dillyn Leyds pass game - that irresistible offload to SP Marais while on the floor. 

Stormers head coach John Dobson was unperturbed by yet more off-field turmoil hounding his successful side, saying he would have been more worried if his players displayed any signs of being disturbed by it all.

The defending URC champions saw off a late Sharks surge to win 29-23 in the end, a bonus-point victory that put them 18 points clear atop the SA Shield (ahead of the Sharks and Bulls on 41) and 10 points clear of third-placed Glasgow Warriors in second overall.

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