Rugby player Haashim Pead moves from Lions to Stormers in South Africa — Daily Maverick

Scrum-half Haashim Pead has moved from South African club the Lions to the Stormers ahead of the start of the 2026/27 United Rugby Championship season. The Lions confirmed the player’s departure on September 21 — four days before the tournament began. As Daily Maverick reports, according to media reports, Pead himself contributed to paying the transfer fee.

The rugby player, who previously played for Western Province, is joining the Cape Town club. At the Stormers, he is expected to remain the third option at scrum-half. The publication notes that the club’s active interest in the player can be explained by Dewaldt Duvenage’s retirement and Imad Khan’s long-term knee injury.

Lack of playing time at the Lions

In 2025, Pead won the World Rugby youth world championship with South Africa and later made his professional debut for the Lions. He also trained with South Africa’s senior national team during the Rugby Championship and started for South Africa A in a match against Zimbabwe in June.

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Last season, the rugby player made 18 appearances for the Lions and played fewer than 400 minutes in the Currie Cup, URC and Challenge Cup. He spent more than 20 minutes on the field in only five matches. The team’s main scrum-halves were Morné van den Berg and Nico Steyn, who played 25 matches and spent more than 1,300 minutes on the field.

An opportunity at the Stormers

The Stormers’ first-choice scrum-half, Cobus Reinach, is 36, so his workload is expected to be managed ahead of the 2027 World Cup. Due to the late transfer and the Stormers’ away tour, Pead will be available to the team only for the home match against the Sharks in Cape Town on October 10.

Before the new season, the Stormers also signed Siya Kolisi, Cheslin Kolbe and Wilco Louw. Daily Maverick links the strengthening of South African clubs’ squads to the long season, injuries and the call-ups of rugby players to the national team.