In a 90-minute update, it has been officially confirmed that Ben Loader, the former London Irish fullback, has joined the Stormers in preparation for the upcoming 2023/24 season.
Loader, who is 24 years old, previously represented England U20 and spent his entire professional rugby career with London Irish. His journey commenced at the tender age of 20, and he has since accumulated an impressive tally of 73 senior caps.
Loader made a memorable impression while playing for London Irish in a Champions Cup match at Cape Town Stadium in December. Now, he is set to make this iconic stadium his new home, having inked a two-year contract with the Stormers.
Standing tall at 1.88 meters, Loader is renowned for his explosive running abilities, adding even more attacking prowess to the Stormers’ backline.
Head Coach John Dobson stated that Loader will be a great fit for the Cape Town-based team’s style of rugby.
“Ben is a player with considerable natural ability, he has pace and power in abundance and fits our game model perfectly,” Dobson said. “We are looking forward to the impact he will have here, as we approach another demanding season.”
Manu Tuilagi would love to swap nations before hanging up his boots
The latest eligibility laws by World Rugby have created a possibility for several renowned England players to represent a different country from their initial capped one, both in the present and upcoming years.
These new regulations state that players can meet the transfer qualification criteria by abstaining from Test rugby for three years and being either born in the country they want to represent or have a parent or grandparent who was born there.
Although some players are more likely to do so than others, here we discuss five players who could potentially switch.
#1. Manu Tuilagi to Samoa
In an extensive interview with The Daily Telegraph, the youngest Tuilagi revealed that while “England is very special to me, of course, but my heart and home is still Samoa.”
“I’d love to pull on the blue jersey one day,”
Manu, who is named after the Samoan national side, is the odd one out of his rugby-playing brothers, as Anitelea, Alesana, Henry and Freddie all opted to play for Manu Samoa rather than any of the European nations they spent time living in throughout their professional careers.
Tuilagi could be available for Samoa in 2027, Rugby World Cup though time isn’t on his side as he would be 35 by then.