I have just read an article stating that Derick Hougaard is due to join the stormers for the rest of the season? Any thoughts on this?

do'nt believe everthing u read

Oh hell no .. you cant be serious

hy dra nou mos rooi en swart soos die Crusaders - miskien speel hy ook soos hulle nou Joshy (",) Hougaard to help Stormers? Derick Hougaard (File) Gavin Rich - SuperSport Canberra - Kurt Coleman has flown to Australia and Peter Grant is expected to be fit to play in the next game, but the Stormers have confirmed that they are looking at options from outside of the squad as they look to have flyhalf well covered as the business end of the Vodacom Super Rugby arrives. Lionel Cronje, the third choice flyhalf who started against the Blues in the absence of Grant and Gary van Aswegen, pulled up in the first half in Auckland with a medial ligament tear on his left knee. Coach Allister Coetzee confirmed afterwards that Cronje would play no further part in the Stormers’ campaign, and of course Van Aswegen will only be back from his injury after the competition. “We have called Kurt Coleman over to join the squad but we are also looking at options from outside of the squad,” said Coetzee in a telephone interview from Auckland. It is no secret that Springbok utility back Ruan Pienaar was the first choice for the Stormers and it is understood they are interested in getting Pienaar’s services for next year, but the man now most likely to come in to help the Stormers as a stop-gap measure is Derick Hougaard, the former Bulls pivot now playing for Saracens. The Stormers and Saracens have a twinning agreement through SAIL, who have a controlling interest in both teams, and it is understood that Hougaard is being sounded out about spending the next month and a half with the Stormers. Although talented, Coleman is inexperienced at Super Rugby level and the Stormers would want a seasoned player as back-up just in case Grant breaks down again in the last four weeks of the league stage or during the playoff phase.

You guys know mos that a ''local boy'' that didnt play for the Maties, must first go score 10000 points somewhere else before Province look at him

Het Ismael Dollie nog nie genoeg gegroei vir die likes van Province nie. Miskien moet hy na ons toe kom.Hell no soos Joshie sê.Nie nog n has-been om pension op te kom tel nie.

What happened to Elgar Watts??? he was much better than van aswegen pre-season??

I hope they have the liefling sound track at newlands

Just a quick remark: just because you play in Europe and not in SA does not make you a has been. At 28 a flyhalf still has many good years left. In many cases such as Percy Montgomery and Stefan Terblanche the experience of playing in Europe makes them better players. It is always good to have an experienced flyhalf when it gets to the knockout stages of the competition.

 So Hougaard is not available and Willem de Waal will be coming instead

According to Alistair Coetzee who stated that he does not know where the rumours of Hougaard joining the Stormers comes from. According to him he is quite happy having Kurt Coleman as a backup to grant and that he feels Kurt can quite easily fill Peter Grant's shoes in the no 10 jersey.

Xtrail wrote: According to Alistair Coetzee who stated that he does not know where the rumours of Hougaard joining the Stormers comes from. According to him he is quite happy having Kurt Coleman as a backup to grant and that he feels Kurt can quite easily fill Peter Grant's shoes in the no 10 jersey.

Not surprised Allister didnt know. Rassie only tells him what he needs to know and not everything

The rumours started with Coetzee who announced that he was willing to look outside the current squad for a back up flyhalf.

Hougaard however will definitly not come.  He stated that he is interested, but he had to undergo a surgery which keeps him out for a couple of months. He has over ever stated that he would love to come to play for WP and the Stormers next year (after the bulls confirmed they not interested in him); as all his family are from the cape region.

'Hougaard spoke to SuperSport.com about the opportunity, which came about through the Stormers twinning agreement with his English club Saracens, but said he is "heartbroken" that he won't be able to take up the offer.
 

"I told Saracens that I want to return to South Africa and that was one of the reasons that I didn't sign a long term contract with them (he signed a six month extention last month). The Bulls deal didn't come off and that was sad for me, because I want to stay with one union in South Africa and give something back that I can be proud of.

"However, I am friends with guys like Schalk (Burger), Jean (de Villiers), Bryan (Habana) and Jaque (Fourie) and have played with them before, so if the Stormers deal happened at the right time, it would have been nice to play alongside friends like that.

"It also would have been great for my friends and my folks in the Cape, it would have been an exciting prospect."

Hougaard added that he had not given up his dream of representing the Springboks again but realises things "happen for a reason" and are "part of a bigger plan".

Just heard from a reliable source that Earl Rose is on his way to join the Stormers. It makes me think that Grant has not recovered and Rose will be on the bench.