Cheslin Kolbe’s long-awaited return to South African rugby is not happening anytime soon — and if you were hoping to see the Springbok flyer back in a Stormers jersey before the next Rugby World Cup, you may need to temper those expectations. The message from his camp is clear: Kolbe is staying in Japan, and Cape Town will have to wait.
The 32-year-old World Cup winner has been one of the most talked-about potential returnees in South African rugby for years. After leaving the Stormers back in 2017, Kolbe built an extraordinary career in Europe — picking up two Top 14 titles and an Investec Champions Cup with Toulouse, followed by a Challenge Cup trophy at RC Toulon. He then made the move east, signing with Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath in 2023, and by all accounts, he has settled in seamlessly.
His agency, Roc Nation Sports International, has now confirmed publicly what many suspected: Kolbe will honour his contract with Suntory, which runs through to the end of the 2026/27 Japan Rugby League One season. That puts any Stormers reunion well beyond the immediate horizon.
RNSI president Michael Yormark spoke candidly to The Star, saying Kolbe is thriving in his current environment. “He is healthy, playing exceptionally well, and has picked up quite a few Player of the Match awards,” Yormark said. “He has settled in very nicely in Japan, is a well-liked teammate, respected by the organisation, and has integrated into the community.”
On the prospect of an eventual return home, Yormark didn’t slam the door shut — but he made it plain that now is not the time. “A couple of years out from the World Cup, you start thinking about what that final chapter might look like,” he noted. “I think every player wants to come home. However, that is something Cheslin, Layla, and the family will consider at the appropriate time.”
Cheslin Kolbe Return to Stormers Pushed Back as Cape Town Franchise Eyes Rebuild
The Stormers, for their part, have never hidden their desire to bring Kolbe back. Director of rugby John Dobson was remarkably open about it last year, telling Netwerk24: “Cheslin is someone we will definitely talk to. He is one of us. We believe he can fill a leadership role and play until 2029.” That ambition hasn’t disappeared, but the reality is that a Cheslin Kolbe return to the Stormers is now, at best, a post-World Cup conversation.
In the meantime, the Cape franchise faces some significant squad challenges heading into next season. Club captain Salmaan Moerat is reportedly on his way to Top 14 giants La Rochelle, while lock Ruben van Heerden is heading to Montpellier. Add to that the news that Dylan Maart has signed with the Bulls, and Dobson has some meaningful gaps to fill across the park.
There is, however, positive news coming through the door as well. Siya Kolisi is returning to the Stormers from the Sharks — a homecoming that carries enormous symbolic and practical weight for the franchise. Wilco Louw is also making his way back from the Bulls, bolstering the front row stocks. More signings are expected to follow as Dobson works to reshape the squad.
Dobson confirmed to Netwerk24 this week that the Stormers are in preliminary discussions with an overseas-based second-rower, though he was careful to stress that nothing is close to being finalised. “We are talking to one player overseas but it’s just a conversation at the moment and nothing more,” he said. He also highlighted Gary Porter, Connor Evans, and Riley Norton as players the coaching staff are excited about developing through the ranks.
The picture emerging from Cape Town is one of a franchise in transition — welcoming back some big names while simultaneously navigating a crop of high-profile departures and searching for the right reinforcements. Kolbe may well be part of that next chapter eventually, but for now, his story is being written in Japan, and by the sound of things, it’s a chapter he’s thoroughly enjoying.