The DHL Stormers are celebrating the homecoming of a trio of Springboks superstars as they put the pressure on themselves to win the BKT URC title for a second time.

They have welcomed back flanker Siya Kolisi, winger Cheslin Kolbe and tighthead prop Wilco Louw following spells with the Hollywoodbets Sharks, Tokyo Sungoliath and the Vodacom Bulls respectively.

As captain Ruhan Nel confirms, it’s a real triple boost for the ambitious Cape Town-based outfit.

“It’s pretty well documented about their abilities as rugby players, but I think if you look at the humans we are getting back into our system, that’s actually the thing that stands out the most for me,” said the veteran centre.

“I had the pleasure of playing Sevens with Cheslin in a couple of tournaments and he is exactly the same guy now as what he was back then and I think that speaks volumes of his character.

“We know Siya for the character he is and the impact he has on the people of South Africa and I know Wilco as well.

“For me, the more better people you can get in the environment, I just believe you will have better rugby players as well.

“We have got three very big guys coming back, also three Stormers men. It’s very exciting.

“Apart from what they are bringing on the field physically, just the type of humans we are going to have in the environment is also a massive contribution to us.”

Adding his thoughts, Director of Rugby John Dobson said: “They are all multiple season Stormers. So there’s a sense of a homecoming.

“We offered all our Springboks a week off next month and not one of those three guys took up that right which is fantastic.

“It shows their commitment to the Stormers that they wanted to play every game.”

Dobson went on to speak about all three players individually.

On double World Cup-winning Springboks skipper Kolisi, he said: “He’s already thoroughly invested.

“He’s a guy we’d look at in all positions in the back row.

“We’ve got three guys that have played six for South Africa this year in Siya, Deon Fourie and Paul de Villiers.

“With the way Siya has grown physically, he could play seven and eight for us as well.”

As for Louw, who started all four Tests in the recent Greatest Rivalry series against New Zealand, he said: “Just seeing the damage he is doing on the world stage now, he’s a massive acquisition for us.”

Kolbe, who passed 50 caps this summer, will have a delayed start to the campaign after suffering a broken jaw against the All Blacks in Johannesburg three weeks ago.

Dobson said: “It’s a bit of a blow that Cheslin won’t play the October matches because we have been a bit light on the wings over the last season or two.

“It’s a blow he’s out for four weeks, but he’s got a long season after that.

“He’s massive for us in terms of what he brings as a player and to the community.”

The Stormers have also signed highly rated young scrum-half Haashim Pead from the 10Bet Lions as they prepare for their opening BKT URC fixture against Connacht Rugby in Galway this Friday.

“I am very happy with the balance of the squad,” said Dobson.

“We have been working quite hard on our age distribution over the last couple of years.

“Our depth is definitely better than it was.

“If you look at the experience we have and the youngsters coming through, I think this is the best quality squad we have put out in the history of the BKT URC.”

With this in mind, Dobson says the Stormers are embarking on the league season with high hopes of repeating their 2022 title triumph.

“It’s the most pressure we have been under in terms of what our own expectations are, not from external pressure,” he said.

“I honestly feel it’s the strongest squad we have put out, the most cohesion, the most caps, so we must put ourselves under pressure to try and win the BKT URC.

“The semi-final against Leinster in Dublin last season gave us a lot of hope. We came a hell of a bit close, but just came up short.

“We shouldn’t have been playing away. That’s because Cardiff, credit to them, beat us.

“We are going to put ourselves under pressure to try and lift that trophy again. We are not here just to take part. We really think we have got an opportunity in this one.”

He continued: “In terms of winning the tournament, the reality is there are some guys that are perennially there.

“You have to beat Leinster. They are always going to be the team that people wonder where they are at the end of the season.

“Somebody has to beat them to win the BKT URC. That’s the challenge for the competition. I am sure if you log on to a sporting bet website now they would be the favourites by some distance.

“So they are a massive factor. It’s that game that determines where the trophy is going.

“But there are teams that can do it whereas before BKT URC days it was maybe an absolute shoe-in. So that’s how I see it.”

Looking back on June’s 20-11 defeat to Leinster Rugby in the play-off semi-finals at the Aviva Stadium, skipper Nel said: “That loss is still fresh in our minds.

“I think there were lessons learned in that game, just seeing how we could operate in that hostile environment going against the full Irish team.

“Although we lost, there was some real confidence that came out of the game in that we were actually right there.”

Looking ahead to the new campaign, Nel added: “It’s a massive opportunity for us.

“Hopefully we can get the start again like we had last season. It lays a pretty nice foundation.”

After his struggles of the past couple of years, Corey Domachowski has recaptured his love for the game and is ready for a very special reunion.

The Wales prop admits his “head was in the shed” as he was plagued by a series of injuries and he ended up putting on a front to mask his troubles.

But now he’s fit again and has regained his spark having embarked on a new challenge with the Scarlets.

As fate would have it, he faces an immediate showdown against his former team, with Cardiff Rugby the opponents in Llanelli this Saturday on the opening weekend of the BKT URC season.

After enjoying the high of making his Wales debut in the summer of 2023 and playing in that autumn’s World Cup and the following Guinness Six Nations, the 11-cap tighthead then went through some tough times.

“If I am going to be honest with myself, the last two and a half years have probably been a bit of a stall in my career. Numerous things have gone on,” he admits.

“I had a bit of bad luck with injury. I probably wasn’t as proactive as I needed to be during that time. I struggled a bit mentally with coping with the injuries.

“It wasn’t something I really had to face in my career until that time.

“It happened at a time where I was probably achieving the most I had in my career, so it was tough to take.

“You are in every day doing your rehab, but it can still become a lonely place, especially when you see other boys returning to play and you’ve still got weeks or months to go. I haven’t really had a run of games for a long time.”

He continues: “I will be honest with you, I did really struggle.

“Being the type of person I am, always full of energy, laughing and joking, it did become a point where it was forced because I didn’t want to show people that I was struggling through the injuries.

“That’s the thing. It takes a lot to speak out and I found it hard at the start. I wouldn’t even speak to my family and tell them I was struggling.

“It came to a point where I had to because it was ruining my life. My head was in the shed with it all.

“I just wanted to do what I love and that’s play rugby.

“I found myself in a position where when I was coming back from injury I wasn’t really enjoying it as much as I had because I was a bit nervous of giving everything and my body falling apart again.

“Rugby is one of those games you can’t play at 90 per cent, you have got to give everything,

“That’s what I found I was lacking. It was a big part of why I made the decision to leave to see if I could get that spark back.

“It was quite a tough period, but it’s all about the character. It’s built me into the person I am today. I learned from those things. If I get injured again, I will definitely take a different route to what I took.”

Having been with Cardiff for more than a decade, making 135 appearances, it was a major shift for Rhondda product Domachowski to head west and join the Scarlets this summer.

“I was a bit nervous the first couple of weeks. It was obviously a big change,” admits the 30-year-old.

“Cardiff was all I had known for ten years, so going to a different club was a bit nerve-racking, but literally from the moment I entered Parc y Scarlets I was welcomed by everybody and it just felt like home straight away. They have been good as gold with me and I am really loving it.

“I have got the urge and the love back for the game, while my motivation stays the same.

“I want to get back in the Welsh squad and I want to be number one at the Scarlets.

“I made a decision to leave Cardiff and try something different because I just lost that spark that I have always had and I have finally got it back.

“I think I just got a bit too comfortable being in one environment for so long.

“I think it was best I left from a personal point of view and from a club point of view.

“The last two years at the club didn’t really go to plan from my perspective and obviously their perspective.

“I didn’t play as much as I would have liked or they probably would have liked.

“We didn’t leave on bad terms or anything. It was just a decision I needed to make and one I am happy I made. I am really excited.

“The reason you play the game is because you love it. We are fortunate to be able to do it as a job.

“My kids say to me all the time ‘Daddy, you are going to work’. I don’t see it as work. It’s not work for me, it’s a privilege.

“At one point, it felt like a chore and that’s when I knew that things needed to change. I needed to find that love and thankfully I’ve found it and I am really enjoying it again.

“I fully believe you will see the best version of me this year.”

Now, first up, comes the derby day reunion with his old pals at Cardiff.

“You just couldn’t write it!” he says.

“Funny enough, when I told the players and the staff there that I had made the decision to leave, the following day was when the fixtures came out.

“We were in South Africa at the time. I had a bit of grief for the rest of the trip!

“It’s a game that’s been in the back of my mind since I made the decision to leave.

“I will be playing against good mates and we will be able to batter each other for 80 minutes. It’s going to be exciting.

“It will probably feel a bit weird initially, but when you are in game mode you are there for yourself and the team.

“I will have to keep my head on my shoulders during the game. It’s one I am definitely looking forward to and may the best men win.”

Tom Shanklin has hailed the high profile overseas signings made by the four Welsh teams as a major positive going into the new BKT URC season.

A host of imports have arrived over the summer, with Aussies Marika Koroibete, Liam Wright, Lawson Creighton and Lalakai Foketi joining the Ospreys, while 76-cap former Wallaby prop Scott Sio has linked up with Cardiff Rugby, along with Namibian centre Le Roux Malan and Tongan forward Semisi Paea.

The Dragons have signed Samoan international scrum-half Ere Enari, Tongan Test wing Anzelo Tuitavuki and Kiwi No 8 Terrell Peita, with the Scarlets recruiting Cullen Grace and Isaac Murray-MacGregor from New Zealand, plus South African lock Alex Grove.

Double Grand Slam-winner Shanklin, who will be covering the BKT URC as a pundit for Premier Sports, feels it’s a timely boost.

“I can’t remember a season where there have been as many big name signings. That’s the positive,” said the former Wales centre.

“We’ve obviously lost Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake, but there have been some really good signings.

“To strengthen the teams, there has to be a foreign influx and we’ve got that. You’ve got some big names coming into Welsh rugby.

“If you go back 20 years, it used to be a regular thing and the teams were competitive.

“So, in the short-term, I think it’s a good thing.

“We have been struggling for wins a lot over the last few years in Welsh rugby.

“I would be excited as a youngster seeing different nationalities coming over who have played international rugby.

“It’s a feel-good factor to show that these regions want to compete. To do that, you’ve got to sign big names and we have got some big names coming to Welsh rugby which is good.”

Ex-Cardiff star Shanklin points to the impact of previous overseas players at the Arms Park when it comes to what they can bring.

“If you look at what the likes of Xavier Rush and Nick Williams did, it’s experience and a fair bit of culture as well, in terms of how to hold yourself in training and looking after yourself.

“It’s values, all this stuff that a lot of foreigners can deliver.

“Xavier Rush was brilliant, while Paul Tito was one of the better ones, just the bloke he was. He was massive for culture, for values.”

Giving his thoughts on the current pecking order of the Welsh teams, Shanklin said: “Cardiff finished sixth in the BKT URC last season and qualified for the Champions Cup which is good and positive.

“I think they will probably be the best Welsh team again this year.

“Them winning ten out of 11 home games in the league last season is massive for confidence, making the Arms Park a tough place to come.

“They go on to the field there and expect to win, which is good.

“I think their signings have been positive too. Jarrod Evans coming back is good. It gives them real good options at fly-half.

“Scott Sio seems to have fitted in really well and will bring lots of experience, while Le Roux Malan is a big unit in the centre, which is something they have lacked there, a bit of size.

“Mason Grady, if he’s back fit, it’s a big season for him, while Teddy Williams will be available again too.

“So I think Cardiff are probably the strongest Welsh team.”

They will kick off their BKT URC campaign by travelling to Llanelli to take on the Scarlets this Saturday.

“It’s good to start with a derby,” said Shanklin.

“It’s a big game and it’s important to start the season well.

“The best thing the Welsh teams can do is win their home games, as many as they can. Then, if you can pick up the odd win away from home, great.”

As for the prospects for the Wales national team, the 70-cap Shanklin says: “I think we will be better than last season.

“If you look at some of the young players coming through, you have to get excited by it. There is plenty of talent.

“If you wrote down every single player we have at our disposal, it doesn’t look that bad.

“You would be looking for them to win two games in the autumn and it would be nice if they could get two more victories in the Six Nations.”