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Stormers first, Boks second — perspective shift sees Roos just wanting to enjoy his rugby again

Stormers first, Boks second — perspective shift sees Roos just wanting to enjoy his rugby again
Evan Roos is tackled during the Autumn International match against England at Twickenham Stadium on 26 November 2022 in London, England. (Photo: Warren Little / Getty Images)
Evan Roos’ injury lay-off has given the hard-running No 8 an opportunity to do some introspection and find new purpose in his career.

Stormers and Springbok No 8 Evan Roos has had a turbulent past few years. After making his Springbok debut against Wales in 2022, his international career has stuttered slightly, having been left out of the successful Rugby World Cup squad last year as well as the most recent Rugby Championship squad.

With his most recent omission, Roos went to see a doctor for a shoulder injury that had been bothering him for more than a year, and found out that it was much worse than he had expected and subsequently had it operated on.

“The labrum tore off in the front, and then your shoulder dislocates and pops out, so that kept on happening,” Roos explained. “I didn’t know, I just thought I had a sore, stiff shoulder.

“That kept on happening repeatedly and then a lot of damage got inside the pocket of the shoulder, and that eventually led to the pain that I couldn’t ignore, and then I went for a scan and the doctor said I should have been operated on a few months ago.

 “Before that I was still comfortable playing, so I did my thing and then I just had to get it done. I want to play.

“The best time for a surgery is immediately. It’s never a good time to get injured, so just get the surgery done as soon as possible.

“Now I’m almost running again. Every day, time ticks on.”

A few bumps in the road, though, is nothing Roos is not accustomed to. A year prior to his breakout season with the Stormers in 2021 – in which he held the United Rugby Championship (URC) trophy aloft and was voted player of the season – he nearly called time on his career.

A lonely, short and unsuccessful quest for gametime at the Sharks for the then 21-year-old turned sour, which led to him moving back home to Cape Town and dominating the local competition, becoming an integral part of John Dobson’s Stormers outfit.

Now, Roos faces his first major injury and a lengthy layoff until at least January next year.

 A fresh perspective


Roos is moving freely already, but because of screws in his arm he won’t be able to take contact for the next few months.

When he does take to the field again, presumably for the Stormers in the URC, Roos is intent on relishing being on the field again and not chasing something he has no control over — like being selected for higher honours.

“I want to enjoy my rugby again,” the sturdy loose forward said. “I’ve been hard on myself this past year and a half.

“Being dropped out of the Boks side just before the World Cup and now getting injured in the middle of the Springbok season.

“I’ve been quite hard on myself and trying to push myself, and that causes me to do stupid things and try too hard. So my mentality now, going back, is to really enjoy it.

“That means enjoying it for the Stormers, and if the Boks need me I’ll enjoy it there, but that’s not my main driving factor now.

Evan Roos is tackled during the Autumn International match against England at Twickenham Stadium on 26 November 2022 in London, England. (Photo: Warren Little / Getty Images)



“Obviously it’s in the back of my mind, but I first want to enjoy playing my rugby for my union in Cape Town, and then hopefully, if that’s the plan, afterwards with the Boks again.”

The perspective shift wasn’t easy for Roos, who for the last while had to watch the Springboks thriving without his services at the back of the scrum.

“Mentally, at the beginning it was quite tough because it was such a shock,” Roos said about the initial diagnosis of his shoulder injury.

“I was part of the Bok set-up and all of a sudden I’m not, then I got injured and watched the Boks doing well, beating New Zealand twice… I was in the stands for the Cape Town game.

“Mentally it does have an effect, but if you’re grounded, well, you have a good foundation. And if you hold on to the things that matter in your life – not the materialistic things – then you’re better off.

“If you start making your identity rugby and everything that comes with it, you’re going to fall off the van quite quickly.”

Legendary footsteps


At the Rugby World Cup last year it was Springbok legend Duane Vermeulen who held down the No 8 position, with Jasper Wiese and Kwagga Smith providing able support when required.

This season, Smith, Wiese and Elrigh Louw have been given a run across the international season, with Roos starting the opening match of the season against Wales and again against Portugal before being snubbed.

It’s a position that is hotly contested, with uncapped domestic star Cameron Hanekom also putting his hand up for selection.

It’s evident though, that number eights get better with age. Vermeulen for example, only made his Springbok debut at 26 years old and was playing some of the best rugby of his career last year, aged 37.

“It’s a position that requires a lot of experience, and that means playing a lot,” Roos said of the intricacies of the position.

“Duane got his (Springbok) debut at 26. I got thrown in the deep end and got mine at 22.

“Duane was at the Pumas, the Cheetahs, Western Province, Stormers, so he accumulated a lot of experience.

“Obviously international rugby is something different, but all those years of playing against hard men, proper Currie Cup rugby and Super Rugby in that time prepared him well.

“I’m not saying that I started too early. I’m very blessed to get my cap so early, but I think things come with time. It’s a journey.

“Recently, especially with this injury, I realised the need to not rush things, to enjoy the present and enjoy where you are now and the season you are in now.”

An introspective shift in mindset by the big, hard-running Roos means the Stormers could very well benefit from the best version of a player who has already stood out from the pack for them. DM