Speculation that more Stormers rugby matches are set to be played in Gqeberha after a vibrant 27,000 crowd turned up to watch the Cape side face Toulon at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a welcome boost for the region.
It was the first time an Investec Champions Cup match had been played in the Metro and a big crowd showed there is a ravenous appetite for top-class professional rugby.
The move to Gqeberha was made because the HSBC Cape Town Sevens took place at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on the same weekend.
When the Stormers played a United Rugby Championship clash against Welsh outfit the Dragons in 2022, 15,000 fans attended the match at the NMB Stadium.
Star-studded Toulon had more pulling power than the Dragons and a much bigger crowd watched the French heavyweights emerge with a 24-14 win.
More top-level matches would kick-start a new chapter in the region’s troubled rugby history and also provide a boost to the Bay's hospitality industry.
The demise of the Southern Kings signalled the end of the professional era for the region after the team campaigned in Super Rugby and PRO14 for several seasons.
Historically, the Stormers have always enjoyed solid support in the Bay, even when they played against the Southern Kings in Super Rugby.
On average there are three games a year where the Stormers have to use an alternative venue to the one they rent from the Cape Town City Council.
An enthusiastic Stormers head coach John Dobson can see the merit in playing all those games in Gqeberha instead of the smaller Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch.
He said though the team received passionate support at Danie Craven Stadium, it felt a bit provincial compared to Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Dobson said the Gqeberha crowd's support had been fantastic and that his players had appreciated the special vibe inside the stadium.
Stormers skipper Neething Fouche said the crowd had given his team goosebumps and it had sucked that they had not been able to reward them with a victory.
Dobson knows his team will always be welcome in Gqeberha and this goodwill bodes well for rugby in the region.
HeraldLIVE
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