When Suleiman Hartzenberg runs onto the pitch at DHL Stadium on Friday night against Cardiff, it won’t just be another appearance for the 21-year-old flyer. It will mark his 50th cap for the Stormers — a staggering milestone for the boy from Manenberg, a community on the Cape Flats more known for hardship than heroism, it’s a moment heavy with significance.
Honestly, it’s been phenomenal. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. It’s ultimately about making myself more versatile as a player, being able to adapt to both centre and wing.
And adapt he has.
Whether slicing through defensive lines on the wing or anchoring the midfield as an outside centre, Hartzenberg has grown into one of the most exciting young players in the United Rugby Championship. His 50th cap isn’t just a number — it’s a testament to a development philosophy being championed in Cape Town, where youth is seen not as a risk, but a resource.
Suleiman Hartzenberg earning 50 Stormers caps at the age of twenty-one is extraordinary. It can’t have happened before. Imagine what he is going to be like in three or four years. So, I think the project of giving the guys game-time from an early age is really working well. It’s based on developing local players and those who understand the region and the culture.
Roots in Resilience
That understanding of region and culture couldn’t be more embodied than in Hartzenberg himself. Born and raised in Manenberg, a place often in the headlines for the wrong reasons, he didn’t just emerge from adversity — he sprinted through it. While many of his peers were consumed by the dangers that plague the Cape Flats, Hartzenberg was focused on fitness, footwork, and flair.
He was barely out of short pants when his talent started ringing louder than the noise around him. That natural pace—jet-engine stuff—earned him a scholarship to Bishops Diocesan College, a world away from his roots, where manicured fields replaced potholes and privilege hummed beneath every post-match handshake.
At Bishops, he didn’t just sharpen his sidestep—he began refining his identity. While others saw a flashy winger, coaches saw something deeper: a rugby brain that read the game like a scrumhalf and ran it like a winger possessed. He linked up with future Stormers Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Connor Evans, and Imad Khan—not just teammates but future comrades in the trenches of the URC.
Coming from Manenberg, I’ve always felt a responsibility — to myself, my family, and where I come from. There’s a lot of talent in the Flats, but not everyone gets the opportunity. So, every time I put on that jersey, I know it’s bigger than just me.
It’s that sense of purpose that has made him such a reliable presence in the Stormers’ backline. Quick off the mark, fearless under the high ball, and boasting an intuitive understanding of the game, Hartzenberg has been central to the team’s recent surge in form.
This week’s game — the last of the regular season — is more than ceremonial. A win against Cardiff will lock down fifth place on the URC log and set up a quarter-final clash with defending champions Glasgow Warriors. The stakes are real. But so is the momentum the Stormers have built over their last three consecutive wins.
And as the team sheet was announced, it was clear that this was no farewell party. Damian Willemse returns at fullback, Manie Libbok is back at flyhalf, and Hartzenberg, of course, will light up the right wing. He’ll be flanked by Leolin Zas and bolstered by Wandisile Simelane and Dan du Plessis in midfield — a backline humming with firepower and finesse.
A Backline Artist with a Fashion Sense
Off the field, Suleiman is less crash ball and more catwalk. A self-confessed fashion junkie, his pre-match drip is as sharp as his sidestep.
I like to mix it up. Damian’s got that preppy look, but I go for something different.
Call him the Stormers’ answer to Paris Fashion Week—if fashion weeks had lineouts.
Yet beneath the threads and the flair lies a bedrock of humility. Hartzenberg is stitched together with grit and gratitude, his roots never far from mind. His older brother, Yaya, once donned Western Province colours, and it was those Saturdays at Newlands—watching from the bleachers, eyes wide with wonder—that first set fire to the furnace.
I’d rush home from my game just to make it in time for Yaya’s. Those were the days—Vodacom Cup, Ali Vermaak, Labeeb Levy... Proper magic.
Eyes on the Boks, Feet on the Ground
Despite all the razzle, his gaze is set firmly on higher ground. Springbok alignment camps have already come calling, and the green-and-gold is more than just a glimmer on the horizon.
The Bok setup gives you just enough to leave you hungry. You always want more.
And that hunger has turned him from a raw speedster into a thinking man’s back—less flash, more fire. Touring Europe, Hartzenberg’s met old friends from his Welsh exchange days, but he’s also met a version of himself that’s grown wiser with each flight, each fixture, each post-match ice bath.
A Friday to Remember
This Friday’s clash against Cardiff isn’t just another fixture on the log sheet. It’s a culmination of community, culture, and character. A win secures fifth place and a quarter-final against the Glasgow Warriors—but even in defeat, Hartzenberg’s story can’t be dulled.
Because when you’ve come this far, from fields of dust to a stadium of lights, 50 caps isn’t just a milestone—it’s a marker. A checkpoint in a career still accelerating like a winger in space, eyes on the tryline, crowd on their feet.
Suleiman Hartzenberg isn’t just the fastest kid from Manenberg. He’s a flash of what’s possible when raw talent meets the right touch of belief. A rugby comet, burning bright at 21—and nowhere near burning out.
Friday’s fixture is more than a victory lap. Beat Cardiff, and the Stormers secure fifth on the URC log, setting up a quarter-final showdown with the defending champions, Glasgow Warriors. The stakes are high — but so is the team’s confidence curve, currently riding the wave of three consecutive wins.
With Damian Willemse slotting in at fullback, the mercurial Manie Libbok returning at flyhalf, and Hartzenberg ready to light up the flank like a streaking winger under stadium floodlights, the Stormers' backline reads like a starting XV highlight reel.
From the back alleys of Manenberg to the big stage of international rugby, Hartzenberg’s journey is a reminder that no matter where your game begins, with heart, hustle, and the right team behind you — you can always score from deep.
And for Suleiman Hartzenberg, the game has only just kicked off.
DHL Stormers:
- Sti Sithole
- Joseph Dweba
- Neethling Fouché
- Salmaan Moerat (captain)
- JD Schickerling
- Dave Ewers
- Louw Nel
- Marcel Theunissen
- Herschel Jantjies
- Manie Libbok
- Leolin Zas
- Dan du Plessis
- Wandisile Simelane
- Suleiman Hartzenberg
- Damian Willemse
Replacements: Scarra Ntubeni, Vernon Matongo, Sazi Sandi, Connor Evans, Paul de Villiers, Paul de Wet, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ben Loader.
