John Dobson’s Stormers will face some of the best young talent in the Western Cape at Florida Park in Ravensmead on Saturday.

As they continue their preparations for the upcoming Vodacom Super Rugby competition, an extended Stormers squad will play four separate 20-minute periods against Maties, UCT, CPUT and a DHL WP XV at the home of Tygerberg RFC.

Gates will open at 9:30am on Saturday morning with the Stormers squad taking on UCT in their first period at 1:30pm, which will be followed directly by 20 minutes against five-time Varsity Cup champions Maties at 2pm.

The Varsity teams will then battle it out against each other, with the remaining two 20-minute periods against the DHL WP XV and CPUT concluding the day.

Entrance to the Varsity Day will cost R20, with parking also R20. The non-playing Stormers squad members will be available for a signing session at 2pm.

Dobson said that the Varsity Day will be a good opportunity for his squad to have a first hit-out of the season as they prepare for a tough opening game of their campaign against the Hurricanes at Newlands on Saturday, 1 February.

‘We are very lucky to have some quality local university teams, with many of our current players having come through those structures,’ said Dobson.

‘The Varsity teams are all preparing for the Varsity Cup and Varsity Shield campaigns, so we know they will be giving everything out there to make an impression.

‘It is also a fantastic opportunity for our squad to connect with the community in the pre-season, as we build on and off the field towards the start of the season.’

Photo: Michael Maytham