John Dobson has confirmed that lock Ruben van Heerden will be unavailable for the Champions Cup playoff against Harlequins, but is confident that the DHL Stormers will cope without him. DYLAN JACK reports.
Van Heerden is ineligible for the Stormers in the Champions Cup, on account of him playing in the pool stages for Exeter Chiefs last December.
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Competition rules do not allow a player to represent two different clubs in the same season, unless certain exceptional criteria is met.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday afternoon, Dobson said that when the Stormers signed Van Heerden on an initial short-term deal, he knew that the second rower would not be available in the Champions Cup.
“We knew that when we signed him. He was cup tied, because he played against the Bulls and Castres in December,” explained Dobson.
“We signed him on a short-term contract, not a loan, which has become long-term. He can’t play in the Champions Cup this season.
“There are exceptions for clubs in financial distress, but he doesn’t fall in that category.”
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It appears that Van Heerden’s place in the starting lineup will be taken by Ernst van Rhyn, with Gary Porter to come onto the bench.
“Ernst has been playing exceptionally. He is one of our most underrated players,” Dobson said. “Ruben is brilliant, but in the context of what Ersnt is going to bring, its not a big blow.”
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