Rugby
Cheetahs name touring squad for EPCR Challenge Cup─── MORGAN PIEK 09:09 Wed, 30 Nov 2022
The Toyota Cheetahs have named their squad for the upcoming European Challenge Cup. The Cheetahs will be heading to France next week where they will tackle Section Paloise in Pau.
The following week they will host the Scarlets in Parma, Italy, in a 'home' game.
The seasoned campaigners such as Frans Steyn, Ruan Pienaar and Aranos Coetzee are fit and ready to tour, while some of the new faces will also be boarding the flight.
One of them is the loan player from the Seattle Seawolves in the USA, Mzamo Majola.
Majola told OFM Sport that his goal was to make the squad for the historic tour to Europe.
“Like I said before I got to Bloem - the biggest thing for me was just to make sure that I can contribute to the success of the organisation in any way that I can, said the front-rower.
“I'm super grateful and thankful that I can be touring with the team. I think that as a team we are under no illusions that we are going up there for a fight and it's going to be a battle.
“But, what an opportunity for the organisation to really put our hands up.”
The lock, Friedle Olivier, in his turn recovered from a hamstring injury in the nick of time. Although he missed out on the warm-up games against the Sharks and Griffons, Olivier is relieved to have recovered and he is ready to head to Europe.
“Unfortunately, I had been out with a hamstring injury for the past three weeks and I tried to get back and ready for the warm-up games, but that didn't happen.
“I integrated into training this week and it has been going well so far. There have been no problems and I believe it will stay that way. There was hard rehabilitation work that was done.”
The Cheetahs depart on 5 December and will tackle Section Paloise at 15:00 next week Saturday.
Cheetahs tour group:
Forwards - Rynier Bernardo, Aranos Coetzee, Marné Coetzee, Schalk Ferreira, Marko Janse van Rensburg, Daniel Maartens, Mzamo Majola, Oupa Mohoje, Friedle Olivier, Sibabalo Qoma, Jeandré Rudolph, Victor Sekekete (captain), Marnus van der Merwe, Louis van der Westhuizen, Hencus van Wyk, Mzwanele Zito.
Backs - David Brits, Robert Ebersohn, Reinhardt Fortuin, Munier Hartzenberg, Cohen Jasper, Daniel Kasende, Rewan Kruger, Tapiwa Mafura, Siya Masuku, Ruan Pienaar, Frans Steyn.
