The Stormers have rounded off a turbulent week with a silver lining, announcing that star No 8 Evan Roos has signed a long-term contract with the Cape side.
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The 21-year-old Roos has been a revelation for the Stormers and Western Province since he joined from the Sharks. The Paarl Boys old-boy has now signed a contract that will keep him in the Cape for the next four years.
Roos has been in sensational form in the Currie Cup scoring eight tries and ranking in the top five for both metres made and defenders beaten in the competition. All this despite having missed a number of matches through injury.
Roos is now poised to make an impact for the Stormers in the upcoming United Rugby Championship, starting with a four-match European tour.
Head coach John Dobson was full of praise for Roos and glad to announce that he had decided to commit his future to Western Province for the next four years.
“We are delighted to have a player of Evan’s quality on our books for at least the next four years. There is no doubt that he has made massive strides since joining us and we are excited to see how much better he can get within our system in the years to come.”
Chairman Ebrahim Rasool said that if this long-term contract doesn’t signal WPPR’s intention to build a squad of the highest quality, nothing else will.
“Evan has thrived in our system this year. This extension is part of our growth and consolidation strategy. There will be others in the period ahead as we further implement our Vision 2023, which we announced some time ago.
“We are also looking forward to confirming a few additions which will strengthen our squad next week ahead of the United Rugby Championship,” he said.
Roos said that it made sense for him to commit to WPPR given how he has grown in the environment both on and off the field this year.
“I really feel at home here and I am looking forward to the next four years, working with the coaches and players that we have here to achieve greater things.
“I am still quite young and have got great opportunities to grow as a player here already, so to know that I will be here for at least the next four years means that I can focus on my rugby and doing what I love most,” he said.
Four more years of @evanroos4 in the blue and white. ?⚪️#iamastormer #wpjoulekkerding #dhldelivers pic.twitter.com/IOwfiDdXkf
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) September 10, 2021