Try scoring machine Roos leads URC award winners
by KickOff Rugby · KickOffStormers No 8 Evan Roos has been named the Top Try Scorer for the 2025/26 United Rugby Championship season after an impressive campaign that saw him cross the whitewash 12 times.
The Springbok forward finished clear at the top of the try-scoring charts, one ahead of Ulster’s Zac Ward. His efforts helped secure him the first individual award of the season ahead of the semi-finals.
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Roos, known for his work rate and finishing ability, expressed simple joy in his performances.
“I am just enjoying it. It’s fun. The tries are just a nice bonus for me,” he said.
Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson had high praise for the 26-year-old’s attitude and style of play.
“He’s very fast and he also runs good support lines. He’s just a kid who enjoys rugby. He just wants the ball in his hands, he wants to play, he wants to tackle people. He’s like an old school rugby player… He’s got humour, he giggles, he contributes, he’s fantastic. I love him.”
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Other Award Winners
Several other standout performers were also recognised for their contributions during the regular season:
- Chris Smith (Lions) claimed the Gilbert Golden Boot for the second time in his career, finishing as the league’s leading points scorer with 149 points. The experienced fly-half credited his kicking coach, Morné Steyn, saying it has been “priceless” to learn from one of the best.
- Ben Carter (Dragons RFC) took home the IPVanish Tackle Machine award after recording a 97.6% tackle success rate among players with 150+ tackles.
- Quan Horn (Lions) repeated his 2023 success by winning the Ironman award, playing every single minute of the regular season (1,440 minutes).
- Jack Walsh (Ospreys) was named the league’s Playmaker before his departure to French club Montauban. Ospreys coach Mark Jones praised the utility back’s professionalism and work ethic.
These five players become the first award winners of the 2025/26 season, with several major honours, including the Elite XV, Next-Gen Player of the Season, South African URC Player of the Season, BKT Coach of the Season, and Players’ Player of the Season, still to be announced in the coming days.