Cape Town – He’s been one of the hottest new properties on the rugby scene this season, and now Evan Roos is raking in the rewards for his performances.
The dynamic Stormers No 8 has been one of the stars in the Cape side’s charge into Saturday’s United Rugby Championship final against the Bulls, and has also earned a call-up to the Springbok squad for next month’s three-Test series against Wales.
The 22-year-old Paarl Boys’ High product will be one of the key figures for Steven Kitshoff’s team once more at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (7.30pm kickoff), and will be in a confident mood after receiving yet another trophy on Wednesday.
Roos was announced as the URC Players’ Player of the Season, which is voted for by the captains and vice-captains of the 16 teams, with the poll conducted at the end of the league season.
It is his fourth individual award after earning the Fans’ Player of the Season, Next-Gen Player of the Season and a spot at No 8 in the URC Dream Team.
“It is the ultimate honour to be recognised by your fellow players, and I am humbled by this award,” the youngster said on Wednesday.
“The United Rugby Championship is such a high standard of rugby and there are so many talented players involved, so this award is huge for me. Thanks to every single person who has helped me along the way this season… this award is for all of them too.”
The URC organisers said in a statement that Roos “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 of the regular season.
“He has carried that form into the playoffs, putting on a Man of the Match display as the Stormers overcame Edinburgh Rugby in the Final Eight and scoring a try in their semi-final clash with Ulster.”
URC Awards Winners
Tackle Machine: Alan O’Connor (Ulster)
Turnover King: Jac Morgan (Ospreys)
Golden Boot: Gareth Anscombe (Ospreys)
Top Try Scorer: Leolin Zas (Stormers)
Ironman: Ruan Nortje (Bulls)
Next-Gen Player of the Season: Evan Roos (Stormers)
Fans’ Player of the Season: Evan Roos (Stormers)
Coach of the Season: Leo Cullen (Leinster)
Players’ Player of the Season: Evan Roos (Stormers)
Dream Team: 15 Warrick Gelant (Stormers) 14 Seabelo Senatla (Stormers) 13 James Hume (Ulster) 12 Damian Willemse (Stormers) 11 Leolin Zas (Stormers) 10 Ross Byrne (Leinster) 9 Craig Casey (Munster) 8 Evan Roos (Stormers) 7 Nick Timoney (Ulster) 6 Marcell Coetzee (Bulls) 5 Ruan Nortje (Bulls) 4 Jean Kleyn (Munster) 3 Thomas du Toit (Sharks) 2 Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls) 1 Ox Nche (Sharks).
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