It will always be home — Salmaan Moerat confirms Stormers exit for French giants La Rochelle

Salmaan Moerat will leave the Stormers at the end of the current season to pursue an opportunity in France, reportedly with La Rochelle, bringing an end to a significant chapter at his home-town franchise.

A proud product of the Western Cape, Moerat rose through the ranks as captain of Paarl Boys High and later led Western Province Under-18 at the 2016 Craven Week. His leadership qualities continued to shine as he captained the Junior Springboks, before making his Stormers debut in 2018 against the Highlanders in Dunedin during Super Rugby.

Since then, Moerat has earned 70 caps and played a key leadership role for the Cape side. He captained them in their first United Rugby Championship (URC) match against Benetton in 2021 and has served as club captain for the past two seasons.

His leadership qualities also came through when he stepped up as the Bok captain in 2025. Stormers director of rugby John Dobson acknowledged the loss of Moerat and what it means to them.

“Salmaan embodies a lot of what we are about as a team,” Dobson said.

“He is a homegrown talent from a renowned rugby family who has earned the respect of teammates and opponents alike through his selfless approach on and off the field. This is a significant opportunity for him and his young family to achieve financial security that would not be possible here.

“He will always be a part of us and hopefully will return home at some stage.”

Moerat said that his connection with the Stormers will always be there.

“I grew up dreaming of playing for this team, and the memories I have will stay with me forever. This move will hopefully be a positive one for me as a rugby player and for my family, and I’d love to return to play for the Stormers one day. It will always be home for me,” he said.