Evan Roos outlines Stormers' ambitions for the United Rugby Championship

The Stormers got off to a stunning start in last season's campaign, winning their first 10 matches in a row before eventually bowing out of the competition in the semi-finals.

Roos revealed the team has had a successful pre-season and has identified the areas where they can excel and use that advantage to get the better of the opposition.

"The one promise I can make is that every time this team puts on a Stormers jersey, we're not there to lose. We're there to compete and get as far as we can," he said.

"This pre-season has been good. We know exactly what we're really good at. We wanted to build on what we worked on last year.

"We play every season to win the league, so that's nothing new. Personally, my goal is just to keep on enjoying it. I think that worked out well last season, so I'll stick with that."

The Stormers had to interrupt their pre-season preparations to take on the All Blacks as part of the warm-up fixtures for Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour, with the Cape outfit giving New Zealand a real scare before eventually losing 38-21.

Roos believes the passion and commitment the team played with bodes well for the upcoming URC campaign.

"It's a funny one; it was the middle of pre-season and there was nothing to play for except the win. It wasn't a league game, quarter-final, semi-final or final," he said.

"At half-time, I saw the All Blacks were surprised, a bit wide-eyed. I think if it wasn't for our two scrumhalves [Imad Khan and Dewaldt Duvenage] picking up injuries, we might have pulled it through. I think the result would have been different.

"That just shows you what this club means to us as a team, how special it is and what we're capable of. I'm happy I have that, and I'll take it into the next season."