Cape Town - Scottish PRO14 Rugby side Edinburgh have completed the contract extension of their star try-scoring winger Duhan van der Merwe.
The big tackle-busting winger - who joined the club from Montpellier in the summer of 2017, and is 24 years old - extended his stay with the club he has become synonymous with.
The brother of Springbok hooker Akker, Van der Merwe has scored 28 tries in his 53 appearances for the club and the news is a boost ahead of their European Challenge Cup clash against Agen at Murrayfield on Saturday.
The winger 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 SA under-20 winger 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 10 tries in 18 appearances during his maiden season at 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 6ft 4in winger’s scoring exploits continued in 2018/19 as Edinburgh returned to the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time in five years.
- PRO14 media