Van der Merwe moves closer to a Scotland call-up
TRANSFER NEWS: Former Junior Springbok Duhan van der Merwe has taken a step closer to getting a Scotland call-up after his decision to extend his contract with Edinburgh.
Van der Merwe, 24 – who joined the club from Montpellier in 2017 – today extends his stay in the capital after so far scoring 28 tries in 53 appearances.
The wing is the club’s top-try scorer in the current squad with 28 total scores, while Van der Merwe trails just four players, Tim Visser (69), Chris Paterson (57), Simon Webster (36) and Derrick Lee (32) on the club’s all-time scoring list.
On penning a new deal, Van der Merwe, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to re-sign with the club.
“It’s clear that big things are happening at Edinburgh Rugby and it’s an honour and a privilege to be a part of this club’s journey.”
Head Coach Richard Cockerill, added: “Duhan, on current form, is one of the most dangerous attacking players in Europe, so we’re obviously delighted to see him re-sign with the club.
“At 24, he’s still a young man, and his game is improving all the time. We’re excited to see him continue to score tries for Edinburgh Rugby in the seasons to come.”
Former Springbok age-grade internationalist Van der Merwe made his debut against Cheetahs in November 2017 and immediately affirmed his popularity among the capital support.
Van der Merwe notched up ten tries in 18 appearances during his maiden season at BT Murrayfield, which saw him pick up the club’s Best Newcomer award as Edinburgh qualified for the PRO14 Final Series for the first time in its history.
The wing’s scoring exploits continued in 2018/19 as Edinburgh returned to the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time in five years.
Van der Merwe’s late try at Kingston Park secured a memorable win over Newcastle Falcons in Europe, while his brace of intercepted scores against Glasgow Warriors were the difference in an unforgettable 1872 Cup victory at BT Murrayfield in December 2018.
After finishing the 2018/19 season with another haul of ten scores – taking his total to 20 tries – Van der Merwe has begun the current campaign in scintillating form.
With yet another brace of scores in the 31-20 Challenge Cup win over Wasps – that saw him named Man of the Match – Van der Merwe hit a total of 25 tries for the club in just 49 matches, a feat only bettered by Tim Visser, who reached a quarter-century in 46 games.
The wing currently tops both the PRO14 and European Challenge Cup stats for metres gained (599m and 387m), while he has beaten the most defenders (45) and made the most clean breaks (18) after ten rounds of league action.
Van der Merwe scored his 28th try for the club in Saturday’s Challenge Cup defeat to Bordeaux-Bègles, elevating him to fifth place on the club’s all-time scoring list.
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