Ultimate hybrid Hacjivah Dayimani ready to play where the Stormers need him

Hacjivah Dayimani is the ultimate hybrid player and will play wherever the Stormers need him this season in an effort to help the team during their United Rugby Championship (URC) and Champions Cup campaigns.

Dayimani was one of the first hybrid players, having played the role years ago when he was at the Lions and was deployed on the wing on occasion, due to his incredible speed, while he has also played centre.

But his primary position is loose forward, being able to play across the back of the scrum, and he showed that last weekend when he starred at eighthman for the Stormers in their win over Connacht.

Ahead of their second match of the season against Edinburgh in Scotland on Friday, Dayimani was asked if he had a particular preference for where he played, as the team had a number of options this week, including Siya Kolisi and Ben-Jason Dixon amongst others.

“At the moment, it is good that there is depth at the Stormers and that we are becoming a big team. I knew my role when I was coming back (to the team from a stint playing in France),” said Dayimani.

“I will play where the coach needs me and where the system needs me, I will happily cover six, seven or eight, and wing. This week might see me on the wing, or maybe not. It will be interesting to see.”

Return from France

Dayimani joined French side Racing 92 on a two season deal in 2024, but was released early and returned to the Stormers in February this year due to family reasons.

He said his time in Europe allowed him to address different parts of his game and become more of an all-rounder, which he was hoping to show more of during the current season.

“Getting back from France, I had to consider a few things. France was where I realised there was part of my game where I have to show up more on. I had the ability when I was younger to play more tight as I was playing for teams that played tight and I was required to be tight,” explained Dayimani.

“Then I moved to teams that played more to the edges, and that part of my game started to come through more. I think the way South African rugby is going you need to do both. In the competitions we play in, we get confronted by very different conditions and therefore game requirements.

“When we are in South Africa in the summer, we play to the edges more, but then we go north and in mid-winter it is cold or wet, and you have to be tight.

“That helps me to adapt. When Evan Roos is not around, and I am at No 8 for the Stormers, I need to carry and be confrontational. Sometimes you will see me a lot on the edges, and at other times, you will see me being tight. These days (overseas), when it is either wet or cold, I have to be more in the tight channels.”

Senior player

The 29-year-old Dayimani is also now one of the senior players in the Stormers squad and has a duty to help mentor some of the younger players, which he admits he is enjoying doing.

“Playing with Riley (Norton) and Louw (Nel) was good. Coming into meetings now and having guys like Riley there and other young players, it has forced me to kind of lead, with them asking the questions,” Dayimani said.

“They ask you about the detail required in different positions, and it forces you to step up in the sense you need to know everything. You have to keep your standards for those guys, as you know they are watching you.”

Looking ahead to the Stormers’ clash against Edinburgh on Friday night, Dayimani said the team had done their homework and knew what to expect heading into the match.

“We’ve picked up that they like a big hit in the scrums and base a lot around that, and it is obviously something we want to take away from them,” he said.

“Also, the lineouts, if we can target them there. The wind last week made the lineouts tricky, but playing in Europe, you just have to adapt. As much as it may be advantageous for them that they train here, the wind also affects them.

“Last week we struggled a bit in the first half around our options based on the wind, but in the second half, we came up with a good plan that sorted everything out.”