Stormers 'about to thrive' as new investment drives instant change

• Stormers coach John Dobson says the finalisation of the Red Disa investment deal brought more relief than euphoria. 
• Dobson has since been elevated to director of rugby with Johan le Roux taking over as CEO. 
• While the players were kept in the loop for a long time, the deal gives security to the backroom staff at the union.
• For more news from Cape Town, visit our dedicated Stormers section. 

A new era at the Stormers and Western Province is well underway with Red Disa's acquisition of 74% shareholding in the union completed less than a week ago, and already changes are taking shape. 

On Tuesday, it was announced that new owner Johan le Roux would immediately take on the role of CEO of WP Rugby, while Stormers coach John Dobson was elevated to the role of director of rugby (DoR). 

READ | New leadership structure for Stormers

That is unlikely to change too much from a rugby operations perspective given that Dobson has essentially been operating in a DoR capacity for the last three seasons, contracting players and brokering deals. 

Le Roux's arrival as head honcho, though, does provide an injection of some much-needed stability at the union which will allow Dobson to focus solely on the rugby. 

Speaking on the deal last week ahead of his side's commanding 43-21 United Rugby Championship victory over Edinburgh, Dobson acknowledged that while the certainty of the Red Disa deal had long provided the players with a sense of security, its finalisation did bring an element of relief that filtered down to all areas of the union. 

"The players have been kept well up to speed, so it wasn't this massive moment of euphoria," Dobson said.

"But there is a huge sense now of comfort, and when guys are worrying about other things, it takes away from performance. For a long time, we were survivors, and now we feel like we're in an era where we are about to thrive.

"There may not be dramatic changes to the rugby programme, but just the changes to the commercial growth are exciting. The more the business grows, the more we'll invest in players."

It is understood that the deal will see an injection of R148 million into the WP Rugby coffers, which will go a long way to setting outstanding debts to SA Rugby and others.  

"The key thing was not so much the players, but the staff. It's those ladies in the laundry and the people around the High Performance Centre in Bellville... they finally don't have to worry about there being another retrenchment process or liquidation," Dobson said. 

"They don't live in the same world of security and remuneration as the players, so it was big for them."

Those expecting a sudden spending spree on new players, however, will be disappointed. The Stormers are currently looking for an emergency loosehead prop given an injury crisis in that position - Glasgow Warriors' South African-born Allan Dell is understood to be on the radar - but that is likely to be where the shopping ends. 

"Our wish list was to keep this group together, and that's often easier said than done," said Dobson.  

"There has been a lot of speculation about Hacjivah (Dayimani), for example, and keeping that together is not just a case of carrying on as usual, and it might require a bit more investment if we have to see off an offer from Japan or wherever it is.

"This team will get better the more we stay together, so there is no plan at the moment.

"What I like about Red Disa is that they say the most important thing is that Western Province Rugby is sustainable. To be sustainable, we're going to have to live within our means for a little bit. It's fine. I think this team is good enough no matter who is being signed in Durban or Pretoria. This team is still good enough to compete."

The Stormers, fifth on the URC table, are next in action when they host Irish side Ulster on Saturday night (19:15).