Roos voted Vodacom Fans' Player of the Season

DHL Stormers No 8 Evan Roos has added a third prize of the inaugural Vodacom United Rugby Championship Awards to his personal haul after being voted Vodacom Fans’ Player of the Season.

The 22-year-old Roos, who was included in the 43-man Springbok squad on Saturday night, has already been named Next-Gen Player of the Season, as well as earning a place in the Vodacom URC Dream Team.

This latest accolade – determined by a public vote – is testament to Roos's outstanding performances over the course of the campaign, which have evidently caught the eye of Vodacom URC fans around the world.

Vodacom Executive Head of Sponsorships Michelle van Eyden said: “The United Rugby Championship Vodacom Fans' Player of the Season Award is all about being united in not only a love for the game, but also in a genuine respect and appreciation for the players and their individual skills and talents.

"The fans live and breathe the game of rugby on a daily basis, and their recognition of a player’s outstanding performance is an important element of our drive to ensure that this competition is inclusive of all in the game of rugby and gives everybody who loves the game a voice to share their passion.”

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 carried that form into the play-offs, putting on a Vodacom Man of the Match display as the DHL Stormers overcame Edinburgh Rugby in the Final Eight, and scored a try in their nail-biting Final Four win over Ulster last weekend.

Experienced Springbok No 8 Duane Vermeulen, who played for Ulster in the quarter-final, described Roos as “an exceptional player” and expressed hope the rising star would soon get his chance in a South Africa jersey.

Roos’ victory in this category continues a strong showing from the DHL Stormers in the Vodacom URC Awards, with Leolin Zas taking home the Top Try Scorer prize and five players from the franchise included in the Dream Team.

The remaining two awards – Loch Lomond Coach of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season – will be announced later this week.

Vodacom URC Awards Winner List 2021-22
Tackle Machine: Alan O’Connor (Ulster)
Turnover King: Jac Morgan (Ospreys)
Gilbert Golden Boot: Gareth Anscombe (Ospreys)
Top Try Scorer: Leolin Zas (DHL Stormers)
Ironman: Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls)
Next-Gen Player of the Season: Evan Roos (DHL Stormers)
Vodacom Fans’ Player of the Season: Evan Roos (DHL Stormers)

Dream Team: 15 Warrick Gelant (DHL Stormers), 14 Seabelo Senatla (DHL Stormers), 13 James Hume (Ulster), 12 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers), 11 Leolin Zas (DHL Stormers), 10 Ross Byrne (Leinster), 9 Craig Casey (Munster); 8 Evan Roos (DHL Stormers), 7 Nick Timoney (Ulster), 6 Marcell Coetzee (Vodacom Bulls), 5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), 4 Jean Kleyn (Munster), 3 Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks), 2 Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls), 1 Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks).

Vodacom United Rugby Championship Evan Roos DHL Stormers Vodacom

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