Rest Well, Chippie Solomon: Western Cape Rugby Community Mourns the Loss of Beloved DHL Stormers Team Manager

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Western Cape rugby lost one of its most enduring and beloved figures on Saturday morning.

Christopher Solomon, known to generations of players and colleagues as “Uncle Chippie,” passed away after more than two decades as DHL Stormers Team Manager, according to a press release.

For those who knew him, or watched him pace the touchline with that unmistakeable presence of his, the news has been difficult to absorb.

For 21 seasons, Mr. Solomon was a constant presence on the touchline, overseeing well over 350 matches and becoming as much a part of the Stormers’ identity as the blue and white hoops themselves. Players came and went, coaches evolved, and the game changed around him, but Mr. Solomon remained, reliable and deeply committed to every person who passed through the High Performance Centre.

He was born in Newlands and grew up in Bontheuwel. Before rugby administration called, he was a teacher, coach, and eventually headmaster at Westridge High School in Mitchell’s Plain.

As a player, Mr. Solomon was a hooker and loose forward of some repute, representing Western Province Schools under the banner of the SA Rugby Union. He gave decades of service to Kuilsriver Rugby Club, where he held the title of Life President. He was appointed coach and selector for the SA Schools team. And then, in 2004, he stepped into the senior Stormers set-up and stayed until his final day.

Those who worked alongside him speak of a man who was irreplaceable. Stormers Rugby CEO Johan le Roux described Mr. Solomon as “a giant of the game,” a person who brought passion to every single thing he touched and who embodied the values that rugby, at its best, aspires to represent.

Director of Rugby John Dobson was equally candid about the magnitude of the loss, noting that Mr. Solomon had returned with the team from a trip to France, where every detail and arrangement had run impeccably. Dobson went further, calling him “nullis secundis”, second to none, a tribute that the rugby fraternity across the Western Cape would wholeheartedly echo.

He is survived by his wife Pearl and their children Nina and Chad. Our thoughts are with his family, and all those who loved him. The Western Cape rugby community has lost one of its very finest, and the game is smaller for his passing.