Ali Vermaak

At 37, Ali Vermaak is among the elder statesmen of the Stormers' wider forward group, the loose forward having been born on 28 April 1989. His Cape Town-based career sits within an organisation that has navigated the transition from Super Rugby to the United Rugby Championship, and senior figures inside that journey have often played key roles in mentoring younger members of the pack. The Stormers' identity under their current era has been defined by forward physicality, breakdown work and the ability to grind out results through territorial control. Flankers in that environment are asked to anchor the contest for possession, contribute heavily on defence and provide a steady presence at the lineout when called on. Vermaak's age profile places him in the bracket where his contribution is as likely to come through experience and squad leadership as through extended matchday minutes. For a franchise that has rebuilt itself into a regular contender in the URC and European competition, the value of senior loose forwards able to hold standards across the week's training environment cannot be overstated.