DHL Stormers legend: Ricky Januarie
Scrumhalf Ricky Januarie was at the height of his powers in the four years that he played for the DHL Stormers.
Schooled at Watson High in Vredenburg and introduced to senior rugby at Louwville in 1999, Ricky Januarie’s professional rugby journey is remarkable for its international flavour and longevity.
Januarie played 423 professional matches between 2002 and 2019, with his first two matches in the colours of Boland and his final 112 matches for French club Agen.
Wherever Januarie went, he prospered, and his time at the DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province from 2008 to 2011 aligned with the tail-end of an international career he determined was over in 2011, when many felt he was still good enough to go to the 2015 World Cup.
Injury short-chained his 2011 World Cup aspirations, but during his time at the DHL Stormers he was a consistent presence in the starting XV and the Springboks’ Test match squad.
His match-winning try for the Springboks against the All Blacks in Dunedin’s Carisbrook in 2008 is the stuff of folklore, but his career was defined by more than one individual moment of brilliance.
Januarie’s ability to clear the ball so quickly from the breakdown was his strength and he was as tough as they come in the No.9 jersey. He never backed down from the physical confrontations and thrived in taking on the forwards.
He played 11 matches for DHL Western Province and 54 for the DHL Stormers in Super Rugby in a four-year spell at Newlands. Those matches would take him past 100 Super Rugby caps, having played 55 for the Joburg-based Cats and Lions.
Januarie, when he left for France in 2011, had already played in nearly 200 professional matches, including 47 for the Springboks, and it is incredible that he played a further 244 for Lyon (79), La Rochelle (53) and Agen (112) from 2011 to 2019.
He played under Jake White and Peter de Villiers for the Boks, and Rassie Erasmus and Allister Coetzee for the DHL Stormers, and all spoke glowingly of his consistency and selflessness as a player. They also described him as fearless and combative.
Januarie was the complete team man, and individually he was among the most unheralded of on-field stars in professional rugby.
His career would include an U21 World Championship gold and he was part of the Bok squads that won the 2007 World Cup and the 2009 series against the British & Irish Lions.
Januarie’s DHL Stormers numbers:
54 – The number of matches he played for the DHL Stormers from 2008 to 2011
3 – The number of tries he scored for the DHL Stormers
