DHL Stormers forwards coach Rito Hlungwani said that the team is "dead-set" on retaining the No. 1 spot in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) as they head into their final two regular-season matches overseas.
The Stormers will face Ulster Rugby at the Affidea Stadium on Friday and then travel to Cardiff for their final league fixture of the 2025/26 United Rugby Championship season on Friday, 15 May 2026.
With 55 points after 16 rounds, the Stormers lead the standings, narrowly ahead of Glasgow Warriors (51) and Leinster (51).
Should the Stormers win both matches, they will guarantee themselves the top seed, ensuring that any potential quarter-final, semi-final, and the Grand Final would be hosted at DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
“We’re also going to be very desperate. It won’t be nice for us to leave Cape Town and then come back not being first.” Hlungwani told reporters:
“So we’re really going there to do the best we can to maintain that No 1 position.”
“I think our experience over the past couple of years has really prepared us to be comfortable every time we go overseas. We’ve picked up some good form through tough games recently, and we really back ourselves to put our best foot forward.”
“We can play in dry weather, wet weather, windy conditions and on 4G. That’s important for these kinds of matches.”
“The first time we went to the Affidea Stadium, we didn’t spend a lot of time training on it. The boys take a long time to recover if you do that. So this time we’ve tried to finish all our work at home.”
“It’s a really fast pitch. The ball bounces a lot more, and it keeps rolling, so the kicking game becomes important. The momentum you get from carrying is different, so you’ve got to get your height right. Even in the tackle, you’ve got to be accurate. Those are small details, but they matter.”