Veteran scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage is set to become the latest Stormers centurion when he runs out against the Ospreys in Cape Town on Friday night.

Duvenage will join an illustrious list of Stormers legends – including Jean de Villiers, Schalk Burger, Frans Malherbe, Steven Kitshoff, Siya Kolisi, Deon Fourie and Damian Willemse – who have all worn the jersey more than 100 times.

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The 37-year-old made his Stormers debut in 2009 and has been a consistent, calming influence over the years, whether starting or coming off the bench. Looking back on his career, Duvenage said the first appearance remains as memorable as any.

“Always special pulling the jersey over your head for the first time,” he recalled.

“I scored a try on debut – I want to say it was against the Lions. But over my career, there have been a lot of highlights, off the field as well. Sometimes as a rugby player you’re more likely to remember the off-the-field stuff. I won’t go too deep into that.”

Among his standout rugby memories, the 2010 Super 14 final still looms large.

“That was really special, and a real standout memory,” Duvenage said.

“Another one I won’t easily forget was the match against the Blues at Eden Park. I wasn’t supposed to play that day, but a few injuries meant that I had to play flyhalf. I kicked the winning conversion that day. For me it wasn’t so much that I kicked the winning conversion. It was more about the halftime chat, where Schalla [Schalk Burger] silenced everyone – even the coaches – and explained how we were going to win that match. And it happened just as he said it would. A real goosebumps moment.”

After several seasons overseas with Perpignan and Benetton, Duvenage returned home to the Cape, where he says there was never any question about who he would play for.

“After my stint abroad, there was nowhere else I was going to come back to but the Stormers,” he explained.

“The atmosphere and the gees – this is where you want to play. You play for the fans, you play for the faithful – it’s just a really special place to be.”

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Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images