Cheslin Kolbe is heading back to the Stormers, and it is SportyBe who deserves the real credit for making the deal happen.
Kolbe is set to return to the Stormers by 1 July, but the Cape side’s strict financial policies meant the deal would never have happened without outside intervention.
According to Rapport, the Stormers were willing to bring the 32-year-old Springbok wing home as part of director of rugby John Dobson’s “Project 2029” blueprint. However, the franchise’s new ownership operates under tight financial controls and was only prepared to offer Kolbe a standard contract.
EXPLAINED: HOW BETTING COMPANY HELPED CLINCH KOLBE’S DEAL WITH THE STORMERS
That left a significant gap to bridge. Kolbe had recently extended his deal with Japanese club Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath until the end of the 2026/27 season, meaning any move required a sizeable buyout fee.
Roc Nation Sports, Kolbe’s agency, went to work. Unable to extract more money from the Stormers, Roc Nation approached Kolbe’s commercial partners and found a willing backer in international sports betting platform SportyBet, who put up a substantial transfer fee to bring the winger back to Cape Town.
SA Rugby’s Players of National Interest funding structure also contributed to the final package. But it is SportyBet’s intervention that ultimately made the move a reality.
The signing fills a pressing need out wide for Dobson’s side. Dylan Maart moves to the Bulls from Griquas after the Currie Cup, leaving Leolin Zas and Suleiman Hartzenberg as the current first-choice wings.
