Springbok hopeful Evan Roos Named URC Next Gen Star Of The Season
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Stormers' star back-rower Evan Roos has been named as the 2021/22 United Rugby Championship URC Next Gen Star Of The Season.
"It is a huge honour to get this award, I am so grateful to everyone who has supported me this season. My family is a great source of strength and pride for me and everyone involved in the Stormers set-up has been amazing as well. I am so proud to play for this team and our incredible fans every week." Roos said.
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The award is open only to players aged under 23 at the start of the season and who have earned no more than five international caps at that point, with a media panel voting for the winner. Players are also required to have made a minimum of nine Vodacom URC appearances to qualify.
Roos, 22, has had a stand-out campaign for the Cape Town outfit, proving himself a destructive ball carrier with more successful carries (126) and defenders beaten (49) than any other player in the competition over the 18 rounds.
His performances this term have seen growing calls for him to be given a chance to shine in the Springbok jersey.
He was overlooked for the first of two South Africa alignment camps in April but made himself impossible to ignore with his subsequent displays and was called up for the second last month ahead of the coming home Tests against Wales.
Following a Round 16 win against Glasgow Warriors in which Roos made a match-leading 10 successful carries, beat five defenders and scored a late try, South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus tweeted: “Well done Evan Roos, that’s how you react to disappointment and make sure you can’t be ignored!”
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Roos' form has gnarled the attention of South Africa's incumbent no.8, Duane Vermeulen who spoke highly of the youngster to ulster.rugby ahead of their semi-final clash with the Stormers.
"There’s big talk about him. He’s an exceptional player and plays well in The Stormers’ set-up." Vermeulen told the club's official website.
"He’s a big carrier for them. We play completely different styles. He’s out and running in the back line and from line-outs, where I am with the forwards. There’s a whole different game plan – you can match him with Nick Timoney or Marcus Rea."
"He’s been really influential in the way they play and he’s racked up a couple of Player-of-the-Match Performances. It’s really good for them, he is playing well and hopefully he gets an opportunity in the national squad. If you play well, you need to get an opportunity somewhere else. Hopefully it’s national colours."
It seems certain Test honours will soon follow for Roos, who carried his regular-season form into the play-offs by putting in a URC Man of the Match performance against Edinburgh Rugby in the Final Eight.
Roos was earlier this week named in the URC Dream Team along with four of his Stormers colleagues.
URC Award Winners List 2021-22
Tackle Machine: Alan O’Connor (Ulster)
Turnover King: Jac Morgan (Ospreys)
Gilbert Golden Boot: Gareth Anscombe (Ospreys)
Top Try Scorer: Leolin Zas (DHL Stormers)
Ironman: Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls)
Next-Gen Star of the Season: Evan Roos (DHL Stormers)
Dream Team: Warrick Gelant (DHL Stormers), Seabelo Senatla (DHL Stormers), James Hume (Ulster), Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers), Leolin Zas (DHL Stormers), Ross Byrne (Leinster), Craig Casey (Munster); Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks), Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls), Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks), Jean Kleyn (Munster), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), Marcell Coetzee (Vodacom Bulls), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Evan Roos (DHL Stormers)
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