Haashim Pead makes his Stormers debut on Saturday in a URC derby clash against the Sharks.
The highly-rated scrumhalf is on the bench for the clash at the Cape Town Stadium on 10 October.
Beyond the hype around his debut, could Pead also be paving the way to a Springboks jersey?
Stormers vs Sharks: Match details
The Stormers welcome the Sharks to Cape Town, kicking off at 16:00, according to the URC website.
The hosts enter the derby on Saturday fresh off a 13-17 loss to Edinburgh last Friday.
Meanwhile, the Sharks are top of the URC table after a 26-20 win over defending champions Leinster last Saturday.
Head coach John Dobson is expecting a fierce clash, with 7 Springboks in the starting XV.
Pead is among the backline replacements for the derby game, as confirmed by Stormers Rugby.
In September, the club confirmed the 21-year-old had signed a four-year deal, following a messy transfer saga involving the Lions.
Pead has represented South Africa at the junior level and has 1 appearance for the Springboks A team.
The Star previously quoted former scrumhalf Rudy Paige’s appraisal of the rising star.
“We must celebrate him and what he has achieved in his short career and what the team achieved. He has got a really bright future ahead of him.”
HISTORIC 📖
That’s how we can describe what transpired at the DHL Stadium last time out 🏟️
The Hollywoodbets Sharks head to the DHL Stormers again, and we await another epic @Vodacom #URC classic 🔥#HollywoodbetsSharks #BlackWhiteForever #SharksRugbyClub #STOvSHA pic.twitter.com/MNpvqUoZSP
— Sharks Rugby Club (@SharksRugby) October 7, 2026
Haashim Pead and a possible Springboks look-in
According to South Africa Rugby, Rassie Erasmus named a 46-man squad for the Nations Championship in June.
This includes 4 scrumhalves: Embrose Papier, Herschel Jantjies, Cobus Reinach, and Grant Williams.
While some fans want to see Pead in the green and gold, this may not happen quite so soon.
Erasmus has used Reinach and Williams as his preferences at #9, with Papier and Jantjies also given game time.
With the 2027 Rugby World Cup looming, the coach is unlikely to heavily tweak his squad at this stage.
However, an impressive season with the Stormers could be an audition for a future Springboks call-up.
Either way, it looks like a matter of time until Pead gets to work his magic for the world champions.
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