25 October 2026
The DHL Stormers are facing an unprecedented front-row crisis ahead of their upcoming United Rugby Championship clash against Ulster following an "absolutely bizarre" string of injuries during their 52-40 victory over the Scarlets. Director of Rugby John Dobson watched in disbelief as three specialist hookers were forced off the field in a chaotic match at DHL Stadium.
The medical emergency began before half-time when starting hooker André-Hugo Venter exited the field with a severe elbow injury. Replacement Lukhanyo Vokozela was then removed for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA), which he subsequently failed, before veteran flanker Deon Fouri, who shifted to hooker to cover, was struck down by a hamstring injury. No. 8 Hacjivah Dayimani was also ruled out after failing an HIA.
Dobson did not mince words regarding the rapid medical room chaos and the frantic reshuffling required on the pitch. “The mouth guards were going like pinball. It was ping, ping!” Dobson remarked to reporters post-match. “That’s our game, the set-piece. And then minutes 60 to 80 is when the hurt is meant to be done, and then suddenly we had that taken away. It was absolutely bizarre.”
With regular hooker JJ Kotze already serving a suspension, the Capetonians were completely stripped of their primary set-piece weapon for the final quarter. Despite having no traditional platform to launch from, the hosts rallied to secure the win in the dying minutes. “I thought actually the way we closed it, we were in ascendancy for the last 10 minutes, which was remarkable given no set-piece for a set-piece team,” Dobson concluded. “That’s where I give them credit, because they weren’t getting it from the guys in the coaches’ box.”