- Stormers wing Junior Pokomela is salivating at the prospect of playing in Gqeberha this weekend.
- The Stormers have taken their United Rugby Championship home game against the Dragons to the Eastern Cape on Saturday.
- Pokomela was born and raised in the city before moving elsewhere to spread his rugby wings.
The return of United Rugby Championship rugby to Gqeberha when the Stormers take on the Dragons on Saturday is more than just a game for striker Sipato Pokomela.
Better known as Junior, the Gray High School for Boys product played his formative rugby in the city before branching out to Bloemfontein and landing in Cape Town.
What matters to Pokomela is the return of rugby, if only for a fleeting Saturday, to the city that played a pivotal role in making the URC in its current form.
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It is often lost in current tournament success that the now defunct Southern Kings and Cheetahs carried the South African torch before Super Rugby withdrew from South Africa.
For Pokomela, the homecoming is for the people of Gqeberha who have been hungry for top-flight rugby.
Being from New Brighton, he is from an area where rugby is played for breakfast, lunch, dinner and every other meal in between.
“In rugby terms, it’s massive and my friends are already excited,” Pokomela said.
“They don’t play in that region when it comes to rugby, and I’ve given half my tickets to my family, but it’s really special to have the chance to play at home.
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“I’m from New Brighton, where the famous Spring Rose club originates from and the club scene there is huge, as is the history of club rugby there.
“You just need to look at the caliber of players coming out of PE. There’s Siya Kolisi, Mzwandile Stick, and Tyibilika. It’s crazy when you look at the players the area has produced.
“They often talk about how rich the rugby culture is in the Western Cape, but I think the same is true in physical education.
“The game means a lot to the people of PE and there are people who are still working hard to push the game forward.”
Pokomela, who played for Gray PE’s superb 2014 First Rugby team that beat Paul Roos and Gray College in the same season, said his heart always remained with the Stormers despite growing up in the Eastern Province country.
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Pokomela said the history of Western Province and the Stormers has always appealed to him, but he hoped his presence at Gqeberha would inspire young rugby players to realize their dreams and make them work.
“I feel privileged and honored to play for the team that I supported when I was still a kid,” Pokomela said.
“I loved the Kings, but I grew up rooting for Western Province, along with the quality of loose forwards they’ve produced and the other greats they’ve produced.
“I hope that people come out in numbers to support and that we play in physical education sends a positive message to children who are still hoping to aspire to rugby.”
