Storm Roux
Storm Roux | |
|---|---|
| Born | Storm James Roux January 13, 1993 South Africa |
| Occupation | Professional footballer |
| Years active | 2012– |
| Known for | Playing as right back for Central Coast Mariners and New Zealand national team |
Storm James Roux ( ; born 13 January 1993) is a professional soccer player who occupies the position of right back for the A-League Men club Central Coast Mariners. Although born in South Africa, he represents the New Zealand national side internationally.
Roux’s football foundation was built through youth stints at Sorrento, the Football West National Training Centre, and Perth Glory youth setup. He made his professional breakthrough with Perth Glory before transferring to Central Coast Mariners in 2013. Over 100 appearances later, he moved to Melbourne Victory in 2018, eventually returning to Central Coast Mariners in 2021.
On the international stage, Roux earned his first cap for the New Zealand national football team in 2013, having previously represented the nation at under-20 level, including participation at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Early life
Born in South Africa, Roux relocated to New Zealand when he was three years old and later moved to Australia during his early teenage years. Despite his diverse heritage, he primarily identifies as a New Zealander while maintaining connections with all three countries. His education took place at Mount Albert Grammar School in New Zealand.
Early years
Upon moving to Australia, Roux began playing junior football with Sorrento, subsequently joining the Football West National Training Centre and the youth ranks of Perth Glory. In 2012, he competed in the WA State League Premier Division with the NTC team, which participated without eligibility for points or competitive standings.
Perth Glory
Roux’s debut in the A-League came on 26 January 2013 when he appeared as a substitute for Perth Glory during a 1–0 defeat against Brisbane Roar. Late in that match, he nearly scored with a powerful attempt that drew commendation from coach Ian Ferguson, who highlighted Roux’s impressive showing. This performance led to his promotion into Perth Glory’s senior squad for the remainder of the 2012–13 campaign, following three seasons within their youth system.
Central Coast Mariners
On 8 June 2013, Roux committed to a two-year contract with reigning A-League champions Central Coast Mariners. He made his debut in the opening fixture of the 2013–14 season—a 1–1 draw against Western Sydney Wanderers—earning praise from head coach Graham Arnold. In December 2013, Roux netted his first goal for the Mariners, calmly finishing to secure victory over Wellington Phoenix. His consistent form garnered him a nomination for the December installment of the A-League Young Footballer of the Year award for 2013–14. Although the accolade ultimately went to Adam Taggart, Roux established himself as a regular starter under coach Phil Moss. In July 2014, he extended his contract through to 2017.
Fan voting secured Roux’s selection for the 2014 A-League All Stars, where he featured as a second-half substitute during a narrow 3–2 defeat to Italian giants Juventus.
On 30 January 2016, Roux scored his second goal for Central Coast Mariners in another triumph over Wellington Phoenix by combining with teammate Luis García before delicately chipping the goalkeeper. However, on 21 February 2016, he suffered significant injuries—including a broken fibula, ligament damage, and a dislocated shoulder—in a match versus Melbourne City, which ruled him out for the remainder of that season. He resumed training ahead of the 2016–17 season in June 2016.
Roux captained Central Coast Mariners for the first time on 29 October 2016 during a draw against Western Sydney Wanderers and earned man of the match recognition. In April 2017, he extended his contract until mid-2019. He achieved his milestone of 100 A-League appearances on 7 February 2018 and shortly thereafter reached his century mark specifically for Central Coast Mariners league matches.
Amid speculation regarding a transfer to Melbourne Victory in April 2018, Mariners coach Wayne O'Sullivan refrained from commenting publicly. Roux was released from his contract on 18 April 2018 to explore other career opportunities.
Reflecting on this period later, Roux mentioned feeling "stale" at Central Coast Mariners due to several challenging seasons combined with injury setbacks.
Melbourne Victory
After departing from Central Coast Mariners, Roux committed to a two-year deal with Melbourne Victory just two months later. He made his first appearance in October 2018, providing an assist to Keisuke Honda during the 2018–19 A-League Melbourne Derby, which ended in a 2–1 defeat against Melbourne City. Within a week, Roux netted his inaugural goal for the club by heading in a corner delivered by Honda, despite the team falling 3–2 to Perth Glory. His second goal arrived on 15 January 2019, again capitalizing on a corner kick, helping secure a dominant 5–0 victory over Brisbane Roar. Throughout his debut season, Roux consistently featured as the starting right back.
On 25 July 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic-induced break, Roux reached the milestone of 150 A-League matches and scored in a narrow 2–1 loss to Western United. In September of the same year, he extended his contract to remain with Melbourne Victory through the 2020–21 campaign. Roux's fourth goal for the club came on 23 April 2021 in an exhilarating 5–4 triumph over Western Sydney Wanderers.
By June 2021, Melbourne Victory announced that Roux was among four players set to leave the club at the conclusion of the season.
Return to Central Coast Mariners
On 1 October 2021, Central Coast Mariners confirmed Roux’s return on a one-year contract. He scored his first goal since rejoining on 15 May 2022 during the 2021–22 A-League Men Elimination Finals, although it came in a defeat to Adelaide United that ended the Mariners’ postseason run.
Roux secured a contract extension for the 2022–23 season in June 2022 and later agreed to another one-year extension for the 2023–24 season in January 2023.
He was in the starting lineup for the 2023 A-League Men Grand Final on 3 June 2023, where the Mariners triumphed over Melbourne City with a resounding 6–1 scoreline to claim the A-League Men Championship.
On 25 November 2023, Roux opened the scoring with a volley in a 3–1 victory against Newcastle Jets during the F3 Derby. In December 2023, he committed to another two-year contract extension, ensuring his presence at the club until the end of the 2025–26 season. On 21 January 2024, Roux received his first career red card in A-League Men following an altercation after coming off the bench during a win over Melbourne City. The Mariners appealed his initial three-match ban, which was subsequently reduced to two games.
As an experienced figure within the squad, Roux played an integral role throughout the Mariners’ highly successful 2023-24 season, contributing to their capture of the Championship, Premiership, and their historic triumph in the AFC Cup. He featured as a substitute in the 2024 AFC Cup final and was part of the starting eleven in the 2024 A-League Men Grand Final.
Youth
Storm was included in the New Zealand U-20 squad that secured victory at the 2013 OFC U-20 Championship, earning a spot at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Turkey. He participated in all three group stage fixtures during the tournament, where New Zealand's campaign ended without progression.
Additionally, he received a call-up to the New Zealand under-23 team for the 2015 Pacific Games. However, New Zealand’s semifinal triumph over Vanuatu was later overturned by the Oceania Football Confederation due to fielding an ineligible player, which resulted in the team missing out on qualification for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Senior
Roux made his senior international debut for the All Whites in November 2013 during the second leg of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification playoff against Mexico. Despite a 4–2 home defeat, New Zealand failed to advance after a 5–1 loss in the away leg.
In mid-2015, Roux was excluded from the national team squad amid eligibility concerns similar to those involving another defender born in South Africa. By December of that year, he confirmed that these eligibility issues had been resolved and expected to return to international duty in 2016. Unfortunately, injury prevented him from participating in the 2016 OFC Nations Cup.
Roux was recalled to the national team in May 2017 ahead of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, having not featured internationally since 2015. He was subsequently named in the final squad for the Confederations Cup tournament.
In September 2022, Roux made his return to the national side for friendly matches against Australia, marking his first call-up since 2019.
Due to personal circumstances, Roux was unavailable for selection for the 2024 OFC Nations Cup.
Personal life
In 2018, Roux welcomed his first child, a son.
Club
| Club | Season | League | FFA Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Perth Glory | 2012–13 | A-League | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Central Coast Mariners | 2013–14 | A-League | 25 | 1 | — | 6 | 0 | 31 | 1 | |
| 2014–15 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 21 | 1 | |||
| 2016–17 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | |||
| Total | 105 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 116 | 2 | ||
| Melbourne Victory | 2018–19 | A-League | 27 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 35 | 2 |
| 2019–20 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 29 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21 | 24 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 72 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 88 | 4 | ||
| Central Coast Mariners | 2021–22 | A-League Men | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 21 | 1 | |
| 2022–23 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 38 | 2 | ||
| 2024–25 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||
| Total | 91 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 105 | 3 | ||
| Career Total | 247 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 294 | 9 | ||
International Career
| New Zealand National Team |
|---|
| Year | Appearances | Goals |
|---|
!Total !!13 !!0
Achievements
Central Coast Mariners
- A-League Men Championship Titles: 2022–23, 2023–24
- A-League Men Premiership Winner: 2023–24
- AFC Cup Champion: 2023–24
New Zealand Under-20
- OFC U-20 Championship Winner: 2013
Personal Accolades
- Selected for the A-League All Star squad in the 2014 edition
Related Articles
- List of Central Coast Mariners FC players
- List of Melbourne Victory FC players
- List of New Zealand international footballers
- List of Perth Glory FC players
External Links
- Storm Roux – Official FIFA competition statistics
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- Living people
- 1993 births
- Sportspeople from Somerset West
- South African emigrants to New Zealand
- Men's association football defenders
- Australian men's soccer players
- New Zealand men's association footballers
- South African men's soccer players
- New Zealand men's under-20 international footballers
- New Zealand men's international footballers
- A-League Men players
- A-League Men All-Stars
- Central Coast Mariners FC players
- Perth Glory FC players
- Melbourne Victory FC players
- South African people of French descent
- Afrikaner people
- 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup players
- Soccer players from the Western Cape
- People educated at Mount Albert Grammar School
- 21st-century Australian sportsmen
- 21st-century South African sportsmen
- 21st-century New Zealand sportsmen
- A-League Men championship–winning players