De Jongh to lead Stormers

Cape Town - The Stormers will be captained by Juan de Jongh when they open their Australasian tour against the Highlanders at the Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, New Zealand at the end of March.

Regular captain Duane Vermeulen is a Springbok contracted player and may not play more than five consecutive games as a result of conditions laid down by the South African Rugby Union (SARU). The restriction is a measure designed to look after the physical well-being of the Springboks who will be campaigning in the World Cup later this year.

Vermeulen has started in all the Stormers' five matches in this season, with De Jongh his understudy.