Rugby

Roos drives Stormers’ surge to URC top spot

Evan Roos’s influence on the Stormers goes far beyond highlight moments. His carry count, defensive workload and relentless minutes reveal a player shaping games from start to finish.

Published

3 weeks ago

26th April 2026

Keo

Stormers Evan Roos 25 April 2026 Ashley Vlotman Gallo Images

Forget the tries for a moment. The real story of Evan Roos and his 2025/26 United Rugby Championship campaign for the Stormers is what he is doing every minute he is on the field.

And those minutes tally 72 every time he plays for the Stormers in the URC.

Roos’s engine capacity is among the elite athletes in the league. He starts matches and invariably finishes them.

Roos was invited to Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’s 2026 National Alignment Camp, having played eight Tests for the Boks in the past five years. He has been on the winning team in seven of those eight Tests, but averages just 36 minutes a match, compared to the 72 minutes he does at club level in all competitions.

Evan Roos 2025/26 URC Season

The URC Season Snapshot

Attack:

55 points
11 tries
2 assists
153 carries
556 metres gained
34 defenders beaten
7 clean breaks
8 offloads

Defence:

116 tackles
15 missed
82% success
4 turnovers won

Discpline:

15 penalties conceded in 14 matches – 1, 07 a match

23 turnovers conceded in 14 matches – 1.64 a match

The Carry Load that kills the show pony myth

153 carries
556 metres
34 defenders beaten
7 clean breaks

Roos in 2025/26:

High carries + high outcomes

Roos’s Defensive Delivery

131 tackles attempted
116 tackles completed
82% success rate
15 missed in 14 league matches

Test-standard workload

Roos’s Efficiency

Metre per carry

556m / 153 carries ≈ 3.6m per carry

Complete package

Carry volume
Metres
Tries
Defenders beaten

Test-level defensive reliability

High carry count
High tackle count

Roos gives the Stormers

Gainline wins
Repeat carries
Defensive presence
Continuity over 80 minutes
Try-scoring strike rate of a winger

Keo Verdict

Roos is high-volume, high-output and defensively powerful and disciplined. The 11 tries in the URC this season and 36 tries in 82 matches for the Stormers in all competitions are the strike rate of a winger, but it is what Roos is doing beyond the try-scoring headlines that is so impressive. When Roos carries, the Stormers gain ground and he is central to creating strike opportunities, as well as striking.

Roos Stormers Career Stats
82 matches

54 starts
5,916 minutes
72 minutes per game average
36 tries = 180 points

Roos gives the Stormers

Gainline wins
Repeat carries
Defensive presence
Continuity over 80 minutes
Try-scoring strike rate of a winger

STORMERS COACH JOHN DOBSON ON ROOS

Dobson hailed the Springbok No. 8 as having “incredible natural ability,” saying he is a player who would fit in at any club in the world, as reported by Cape Times.
Character and Commitment: Beyond his playing ability, Dobson is impressed by how Roos carries himself and his deep commitment to the team, according to Cape Times.
Old School Mentality: Dobson has often praised Roos for his “old-school” club rugby mentality, enjoying a, as The Rugby Pod describes, “great man” who brings a “normal, old club rugby feel to the professional game”.