- Damian Willemse's commitment to the Stormers is a major relief for head coach John Dobson.
- The 22-year-old Willemse had received an offer to join the Bulls.
- Willemse says the decision was "difficult", but he is pleased to have re-signed with his "boyhood club".
Stormers coach John Dobson says it was "critical" to secure the services of Springbok Damian Willemse.
Having received what was understood to be a lucrative offer to join Jake White at the Bulls, the 22-year-old World Cup winner instead last week put pen to paper on a new three-year deal to stay in Cape Town.
While he has been used as both a flyhalf and a fullback throughout his professional career so far, Willemse's natural attacking abilities make him a highly sought after player and, addressing media on Monday, Dobson revealed just how relieved he was at keeping his man.
"If you know Damian Willemse, you know what a professional and what a talented player he is," said Dobson.
"To be 22-years-old and have the maturity and leadership that he's got, I do maintain that he is the future.
"As a group we went through some growing pains with Covid and regardless of what the keyboard warriors have said, we know this is a special person who epitomises a lot of what we're trying to do at this franchise.
"He understands rugby and the technical aspects of the game and he also epitomises the flair that is inherent in this region. He's a great professional, a great athlete and one of our leaders at the tender age of 22.
"For me it was absolutely critical that we kept him and I'm just very grateful that he decided to stay with us and repay his faith in us."
Willemse acknowledged that the decision had been "difficult", confirming the interest from Loftus, but was pleased to commit to his "boyhood club".
"There were various factors and things that you can't hide from. There was a big interest from them," he said.
"These kinds of decisions aren't easy ... it's not a decision you make in a day.
"I'm ready to go back to work and keep growing with this team and hopefully bring some silverware back to Cape Town."
