URC Regular Season: SA stars among the best

As the Vodacom United Rugby Championship heads into the knockout stages, the regular season stats reveal a telling story — South African players are not just holding their own, they’re dominating.

From big carries to sneaky turnovers and try-scoring flair, players from the Stormers, Lions, Bulls and Sharks all feature prominently in key performance areas. Here’s a look at the standout South African performers after 18 rounds.

🔥 Top Try-Scorers

•Leolin Zas (Stormers) – 9 tries (Joint-1st)

• Edwill van der Merwe (Lions) – 8 tries (Joint-4th)

Zas was lethal down the wing for the Stormers, while Edwill showed his finishing class for the Lions — both firmly among the URC’s most dangerous runners.

💥 Carries & Carriers

•Warrick Gelant (Stormers) – 193 carries (5th overall)

• Gavin Coombes (Munster) – 206 (3rd)

• Tom Farrell (Munster) – 238 (1st)

Metres Gained

•Quan Horn (Lions) – 836 metres (5th overall)

Horn was consistently reliable for the Lions at the back, gaining more ground than nearly any other player in the league.

Clean Breaks

•Leolin Zas (Stormers) – 22 clean breaks (Joint-2nd)

Zas’ ability to carve through defences was unrivalled at times this season, once again proving he’s one of the URC’s deadliest finishers.

Notably, Marcel Theunissen (Stormers) made 80 successful carries, ranking 5th on that chart, while Gelant and Coombes also featured high for clean metres.

💪 Defenders Beaten

•Quan Horn (Lions) – 59 defenders beaten (3rd overall)

• Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks) – 55 (Joint-4th)

Esterhuizen and Horn terrorised tacklers week after week — strong, evasive, and powerful in the contact zone.

Turnovers Won

•JC Pretorius (Lions) – 25 turnovers (1st)

• Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets) – 18 (Joint-3rd)

JC Pretorius was a menace at the breakdown, topping the charts for turnovers won in the entire URC.

Kicking & Game Control

• Jordan Hendrikse (Sharks)

• 2nd in Penalties (16)

• 2nd in Conversions (30)

• 3rd in Total Points (118)

•Aphelele Fassi (Sharks) – 100% Kicking Success

Hendrikse proved to be one of the URC’s most reliable point scorers, while Fassi showed ice-cold composure with the boot.

Kicks in Play

• Embrose Papier (Bulls) – 123 (4th)

• Morne van den Berg (Lions) – 120 (5th)

Both scrumhalves were key tactical kickers for their sides, keeping opposition backfields busy.

Kick Metres

•Quan Horn (Lions) – 3810m (5th overall)

Horn’s value as a long-range boot from fullback added another dimension to the Lions’ game.

Offloads

•RG Snyman (Leinster) – 40 offloads (2nd)

• Warrick Gelant (Stormers) – 33 (3rd)

• Cameron Hanekom (Bulls) – 23 (5th)

Snyman’s offload tally is remarkable for a second-rower, while Hanekom and Gelant gave their teams valuable continuity.

Lineout Steals

• Vincent Tshituka (Sharks) – 10 steals (1st)

• JD Schickerling (Stormers) – 8 (Joint-3rd)

Tshituka topped the URC with the most lineout steals, underlining his all-round contribution for the Sharks.