Springbok assistant coach Duane Vermeulen believes the upcoming Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) North-South Derby between the Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers on Saturday, 14 March 2026 at 14:00 (SA Time), will be a historic encounter, significantly influenced by the recent Springbok alignment camp.
If the Bulls win on Saturday, it will be their 100th victory against the W.P.R.U. (Western Province + Stormers), after 88 years of competing against each other (206 games). The Bulls currently lead the Stormers with 99-97 victories
Vermeulen said that players from both sides are "ready to fire" after receiving direct feedback from the national coaching staff. He expects players to use this high-profile stage to prove they understand the Springbok requirements ahead of the international season.
“After the Springbok alignment camp we had last week, I think the players are ready to fire. They’ve got some feedback from the coaches on what we want to see as a coaching staff at the Springboks. The players know exactly what the coaches want from them. So I think this weekend, you’ll see a lot more from the players as they try to perfect their craft.”
“That’s a big thing because there are always spots up for grabs in the Springboks. It’s not a certainty that you’ll be in the Springbok mix if you were invited to the alignment camp. That was just to tell them what the coaches are looking for, and hopefully the players can change their mindset and attitude to the game accordingly if they need to.”
Vermeulen said, despite the fact that the Bulls have found their rhythm under coach Johan Ackermann and the Stormers have looked "vulnerable" lately, he cautions that previous form is irrelevant in this derby.
“We saw in the past couple of games of the Stormers that something isn’t gelling. I don’t know what that is. But they’ve got class players, and if they can work together, then they can definitely upset teams. The Vodacom Bulls struggled with a new coach, but they seem to have found their way. The last couple of games, it’s been good to see how they play as a collective. They’ve also become accustomed to what Johan wants to achieve. It seems like they’re very aligned, while the Stormers are missing their mark a little bit.
“But you never know. The North-South Derby is always difficult to call. You can’t rely on previous form. You need to focus on the day. This is always a big crunch game for these teams. I’ve been on both sides, and on the winning and losing side. It’s a tough battle for sure. You go up to Loftus, where altitude does play its part. Everyone goes there and says, " Sure, it’s altitude, but if you take away the L, it’s attitude. But I was with the Stormers for seven years, and it was always difficult to play at Loftus. That has changed over the past few years, and the Stormers have been very successful at Loftus. The Vodacom Bulls still see it as their fortress, though. I enjoyed both teams when I played for each in this derby. You give 100% because that’s your team for this derby.”