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Free State Rugby is delighted to announce that eight talented players have committed their future with the Toyota Cheetahs until 2019 and they are William Small-Smith, Nico Lee, Elandré Huggett, Ernst Stapelberg, JP du Preez, Lloyd Greeff, Sibabalo Qoma and Dennis Visser.
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Indications are that announcements on a number of other top players can be expected soon due to the fact that the contracting process only just started.
William Small-Smith (Centre)
Date of Birth 31 March 1992
Super Rugby Debut: 2014 vs. Highlanders (Bulls)
Guinness PRO14: 1 September 2017 vs Ulster
Springbok Sevens: 2011 – 2012
Fast and with a proven ability to finish, Small-Smith’s real strength lies in his on-field organisational and leadership traits. A leader of men with a natural feel for the game, the developing centre will become even more influential in years to come.
He made his debut against the Highlanders in April last year and showed why he was so highly rated. Deft touches and solid defence allowed players around him to blossom and more of the same can be expected of this gifted midfielder in 2015.
Small-Smith played in 8 of 10 games in the 2016 Currie Cup, the two matches he didn’t play was the Semi Final against the Lions in Bloemfontein and in the Home Final against the Blue Bulls. (2016 Currie Cup Champions). Small-Smith has a total of 28 Currie Cup caps to his name with a total of 21 SuperRugby matches and 10 Guinness PRO14 caps so far.
Nico Lee (Centre)
Date of Birth 13 March 1994
Currie Cup Debut: 2016 vs WP (Cheetahs)
Super Rugby Debut: 2016 vs. Bulls (Cheetahs)
Guinness PRO14: 16 September 2017 vs Zebre
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Lee played schoolboy rugby for Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool in Pretoria, but missed out on selection for the Blue Bulls’ squad for the Craven Week competition in 2012. In 2013, Lee moved to Bloemfontein where he represented the Free State U19 side in the 2013 Under-21 Provincial Championship competition, making eleven starts during the season, scoring four tries and a penalty during the campaign.
Lee played 8 of 10 games in the 2016 Currie Cup, including the Semi Final against the Lions in Bloemfontein and in the Home Final against the Blue Bulls. (2016 Currie Cup Champions). Lee has a total of 9 Currie Cup caps to his name and represented the Toyota Cheetahs in 14 Super Rugby matches and 12 Guinness PRO14 matches to date. Nico scored a hat-trick of tries against the Kings on the 13th of January 2018 in a Guinness PRO14 match in Port Elizabeth.
Elandre Hugget (Hooker)
Date of Birth 5 October 1991
Currie Cup Debut: 2012 vs Griquas
Super Rugby Debut: 2015 vs. Waratahs (Cheetahs)
He joined Welkom-based side Griffons in 2013 and played 15 matches. He was a key member of their 2014 Currie Cup First Division side. He played in the final and helped the Griffons win the match against the Valke 23–21 to win their first trophy for six years.
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In 2015 he played in 2 Super Rugby matches making his debut on 6 June 2015 against the Waratahs in Bloemfontein as a substitute for Torsten van Jaarsveld. Huggett has a total of 15 SuperRugby caps and 16 Currie Cup caps to his name.
Ernst Stapelberg (Flyhalf)
Date of Birth 6 February 1995
Guinness PRO14 debut: 16 September 2017 vs. Zebre
Having represented South Africa at the 2015 U20 World Champions Ernst Stapelberg continued to represent his University, Maties, in the Varsity Cup.
With an accurate boot and array of skills, he helped Maties to the 2017 Varsity Cup final and he was eventually named in the Dream Team. His efforts earned him a call up into the Western Province squad for the 2017 Currie Cup.
In late August 2017, the Free State Cheetahs bolstered their squad with the signing of the former Junior Springbok for the remainder of their Currie Cup season and he also made his debut for the Guinness PRO14 side and playing four matches. Stapelberg is currently rated under the top 15 best Guinness PRO14 kickers in the 2017/18 championship.
JP du Preez (Lock)
Date of Birth 9 November 1994
In 2015, Du Preez was included in the Lions squad for the 2015 Super Rugby season and was named on the bench for their Round two matches against the Sharks. He made his Super Rugby debut, coming on as a substitute just after the hour mark and, in doing so, becoming the tallest player ever to play Super Rugby. Du Preez signed with the Toyota Cheetahs in 2017 till 2019.
Lloyd Greeff (Centre)
Date of Birth 3 January 1994
Greeff joined the Golden Lions, but suffered a knee injury that ruled him out of action for the majority of his Lions career. He made just a single senior appearance for the team, as a late replacement in a 35–all draw against the Eastern Province Kings in the 2016 Currie Cup.
Greeff moved to Italy to join Pro12 side Zebre before the 2016–2017 season.
He played his first Currie Cup match for the Toyota Free State Cheetahs from the bench in 2017 against WP in Cape Town. He played his first Currie Cup match in the starting line-up against the Pumas at Toyota Stadium.
Sibabalo Qoma (Lock/flank)
Date of Birth 14 August 1995
Sibabalo Qoma came through the Toyota Free State Academy and was named the Toyota Free State XV player the year for 2017 after a good year on the field.
Dennis Visser (Lock)
Date of Birth 20 February 1993
Currie Cup Debut 19 August 2017 vs. Bulls
Guinness PRO14 4 November 2017 vs. Connacht
Visser was named in the training squad of Bloemfontein-based Super Rugby franchise the Cheetahs for the 2016 Super Rugby season. [17] In January 2016, he was released from the training squad to join Varsity Cup side UFS Shimlas.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
1 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
13 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
1 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to comments