WATCH: Stormers’ youngest-ever cheerleader captivates hearts
The Stormers consistently draw huge crowds in domestic rugby, spurned on by a dynamic cheerleader team.
Every season, the DHL Dancers have been entertaining spectators at Stormers home games with fresh and captivating routines.
More recently, men have integrated into the cheerleading squad and in 2022, a clip of Wiaan Laing wowing crowds with his dance moves amassed millions of views.
A SMALL ADDITION
In December, head choreographer Jenny Beck decided to shake things up again and bring a diminutive, “home-schooled” dancer into the mix – her six-year-old daughter Ella.
Ella began melting hearts the moment she took to the field at the Cape Town Stadium with her sass and slick moves.
Six-year-old Ella Jacobs is the latest addition to the Stormers’ cheerleading team. Video: South African Things/ YouTube
“To put a new spin on things this year, we decided to include a mini cheerleader,” said Jenny, who joined as a Stormers cheerleader herself in 2011, and now manages a team of 24 dancers.
“Ella is also a fantastic dancer and loves being on the field with us.”
Video: South African Things/ YouTube
Judging by fan reactions, levelling the playing fields with male dancers was clearly a popular and innovative move by the DHL Stormers’ cheerleading team.
“I had an idea to have a dancer pose as a rugby player and then join the dancers’ routine as they started dancing,” said Jenny. “I saw Wiaan at an audition and thought he looked like a rugby player, but he was also an exceptional performer.”
“The crowd absolutely loved him and after he became a viral sensation in 2022, we decided to include more men in the dance team and it just took off from there.”
STORMERS FAITHFUL
Earlier this year, South African rugby franchises broke another attendance record in the United Rugby Championship (URC), with two local derbies accounting for almost half of the total figure.
The Stormers hosted the Bulls in round eight and nearly 40 000 spectators flocked to the DHL Stadium, underlining the success of South African franchises joining the league.
“Our clubs are innovating and collaborating to grow their crowds and attract new fans to rugby and this fantastic achievement speaks to their work throughout the season,” said Martin Anayi, CEO of the URC.
“Fans are turning up more often across Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales because of the engaging match-day experiences.”