John Dobson: The published author who could write historic Stormers chapter

John Dobson could be about to write his greatest chapter by leading the Stormers to victory in the United Rugby Championship (URC) final.

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The Stormers head coach happens to be a published author, having released a pair of comic novels – Year of the Gherkin and Year of the Turnip – about the trials and tribulations of central character Jason Brydon.

Dobson also holds a law degree, masters degrees in business administration and creative writing and was a founder of the 365 Media Group and the Rugby365 website.

According to the official URC website, those achievements highlight the variety that has filled Dobson’s adult life, although it has always been rooted in rugby.

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The son of former referee and rugby writer Paul Dobson, who was the recipient of the World Rugby Referee Award in 2src12, sport was in the family for Dobson growing up.

While his playing career may not have scaled the Test heights many young players aspire to, Dobson was on the books as a hooker at Western Province and spent time playing in Italy and Portugal.

He found his calling as a coach in 2srcsrc8, serving as head coach of the UCT Ikey Tigers in the Varsity Cup and technical director of Italian side Roma in 2srcsrc9.

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A return to Cape Town followed in 2src1src when he was appointed coach of the Western Province Under-21 side, helping them to victory in the Under