Marnus Van Der Merwe

Marnus Van Der Merwe is a South African back-row forward plying his trade with the Scarlets, the storied Welsh region based in Llanelli. Born on 17 February 1997, he brings a southern-hemisphere physical edge to the United Rugby Championship side, having developed his game within the demanding structures of South African rugby before moving north. A flanker by trade, Van Der Merwe's strengths lie in the contact area, where he looks to make his presence felt through aggressive defence, work over the ball, and a willingness to carry hard into the heart of opposition defences. The Scarlets have a long tradition of expansive, ambitious rugby, and back-rowers in their system are asked to combine that physical foundation with the mobility and handling to link play across the park. His role at the region is to add grunt and turnover threat to the pack while contributing to the high-tempo game the Scarlets favour. As an overseas forward in the URC, he competes within a back row that demands both defensive reliability and the engine to last the full eighty minutes. Van Der Merwe continues to push for game time and influence as he establishes himself in Welsh regional rugby and lends his physical, abrasive style to the Scarlets' forward effort.