Van der Merwe extends Edinburgh stay

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Former Junior Springbok wing Duhan van der Merwe has committed his future to Edinburgh after signing a contract extension with the PRO14 club.

Van der Merwe – who joined the club from Montpellier in the summer of 2017 – stays on in the Scotland capital after so far scoring 28 tries in 53 appearances.

The 24-year-old is the club’s top try-scorer in the current squad with 28 tries in total, and 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.

The younger brother of Springbok hooker Akker made his debut against Cheetahs in November 2017 and immediately affirmed his popularity among club supporters. He notched up ten tries in 18 appearances during his maiden season at Murrayfield, which brought him the club’s Best Newcomer award as Edinburgh qualified for the PRO14 final for the first time in its history.

‘I’m absolutely delighted to re-sign with the club,’ Van der Merwe said. ‘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.’

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Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill expressed his delight at being able to keep the big wing.

‘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.’

Photo: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

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