Stormers’ Evan Roos named Next-Gen star of URC season

Stormers No 8 Evan Roos has been voted the United Rugby Championship’s Next-Gen star of the season.

The award is handed to anyone under the age of 23 at the start of the season and not played more than five Tests for his country. The media voted for the winner.

Roos, 22, has been a standout performer for the Stormers this season, helping them to finish second on the overall points table. They will also play in a semifinal at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, against Ulster.

“It is a huge honour to get this award,” said Roos. “I am so proud to play for the Stormers.”

ALSO READ: Stormers to persist with six-two bench split for semifinal

Over the course of the season Roos had more successful ball carries (126) and beat more defenders (49) than any other player over the 18 rounds.

Roos was named in the URC Dream Team earlier this week, along with nine other South African players.

The powerful No 8 was man of the match in the URC quarterfinal against Edinburgh last weekend and he is expected to be named in the Springbok squad for the July Tests against Wales once the Stormers’ URC commitments are over.

Other South African players to pick up URC season awards are Leolin Zas, the top-try scorer from the Stormers, and Ruan Nortje, who was named Ironman of the season for the most minutes played.

This week’s URC semifinals see the Bulls facing Leinster in Dublin on Friday (8.35pm) and the Stormers hosting Ulster in Cape Town on Saturday at 3pm.