Stormers fight off English interest in Connor Evans

The Stormers have moved to keep highly-rated lock Connor Evans out of the clutches of admiring Premiership clubs after signing him up for another three years.

The Cape Town-born lock, 22, caught the eye of watching Premiership and RFU scouts when the Stormers played a recent friendly against Northampton Saints at Franklins Gardens.

RugbyPass highlighted four years ago that Evans was South Africa’s No. 1 schoolboy player in their NextGenXV when he attended the legendary Bishops, a private school in Cape Town.

The former South African schools international who qualifies for a UK passport has played seven games for the Stormers this season but has only made one start against La Rochelle in the Champions Cup.

Evans, who stands at 6ft 6 and tips the scales at 112kg, played 11 games last season and was part of the Springbok under-20 side that secured a summer series final win over Wales in July 2022 at the end of his breakthrough campaign.

He has caught the eye of United Championship rivals the Ospreys in the past, and according to Netwerk24 the Stormers were desperate to keep him on the Cape and dangled the carrot of a new long-term deal to make sure he does.

Meanwhile, the Stormers are closing in on securing the return of former junior Springbok lock JD Schickerling, who has been playing for Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Japan’s Rugby League One.

Schickerling, 28, who hails from Calvinia in the Northern Cape and stands at 6ft 8ins, was a target for the Scarlets last season and made 40 appearances for the URC big hitters before moving to Japan.

He has been touted for a move to his former club since the start of the year and will also be offered a three-year contract to secure his signature on a contract from the start of next season.