​ Another coup for Stormers as Roos commits

The good business the DHL Stormers are doing in terms of their stated aim of retaining the talented players that have brought the franchise success in the past few seasons has continued with the confirmation that Evan Roos has signed on for at least another three seasons.

The explosive Roos, named as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship player of the season in the first season of the competition, a season in which he was one of the spearheads of the Stormers winning the inaugural trophy, has committed until at least 2027.

In doing so he joins the precociously talented Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, lock Ruben van Heerden and Dan du Plessis in ensuring that he remains a Stormer long term. It is understood several players have signed extensions with further announcements expected to be made in the coming weeks.

The contracting of Roos, a Paarl Boys Boys High old boy, is a major coup for the Stormers as he is a highly influential player in the set up, and with more than 50 caps already to his credit after he moved back to the Cape after playing age group rugby for the Sharks, it is hard to believe he is just 24 years of age.

Apart from the URC Player of the season in 2021/2022, he also took the Players’ Player of the Season, the Next Gen Player of the Season and and the Vodacom Fans’ Player of the Season awards in that first Stormers title winning season. He made his Springbok debut shortly after that and although injuries prevented him from making a proper challenge for a place at last year’s World Cup, he showed he belonged at international level with a stand out performance in a good South African win over England at Twickenham in November 2022.

Now that he is over his injury problems, Roos is back at his destructive best and with plenty of growth potential still, the Stormers are understandably pleased to have him play for them for at least another three years.

“Evan has been simply sensational since joining us three years ago and at just 24 there is still plenty more to come from him in the Stormers jersey,” said Stormers director of rugby John Dobson.

“He brings physicality, pace and most of all fantastic attitude to everything he does and we look forward to watching him continue to grow in our system.

“These extensions and a few more that we will be announcing shortly show how the key players in the squad are committed to our vision and have brought-in to build something special over the next few years, which is very exciting,” Dobson added.

Roos said that the decision to sign a three year contract extension was an easy one for him to make.

“My rugby career has been transformed here at the Stormers and playing for the team means a lot to me,” said the No 8.

“We still have much that can be achieved together and I want to play a central role in the future success that is to come.”

Apart from the players that have been retained, it was also announced recently that two key Stormers forwards currently contracted to overseas clubs, Steven Kitshoff (Ulster) and lock JD Schickerling (Japan), have committed to return to the Cape from 1 July.

The Stormers, best with possibly the best feeder system in the country, have made it known that even though they now have equity partners in the form of the Red Disa Consortium, they will not be following the lead of some of the other local franchises by contracting in star players from outside the region and will be backing the young players who are set to mature over the next few seasons.