Rugby
Chucky geared for return after five months─── MORGAN PIEK 08:22 Fri, 01 Nov 2024
The Namibian international hooker, Chucky van der Westhuizen, is set to make his return to the training field next week then the Toyota Cheetahs assemble in Bloemfontein for their preseason.
Van der Westhuizen, who has already played in three Rugby World Cups, missed the entire Currie Cup due to a knee injury. He underwent surgery on his knee after the SA Cup and has been out for five months. He is up and running again and will fall in with the team as of next week when they get their short preseason underway.
Van der Westhuizen is one of several seasoned stars that will make a return after long injury layoffs and it’s a big boost ahead of the EPCR Challenge Cup.
Van der Westhuizen told OFM Sport that he will have to earn his spot in the back of the squad.
Chucky van der Westhuizen during the EPRC Challenge Cup win against the Sharks in 2023. Photo: Morgan Piek
“I’m really excited to get back - it’s been a long five months for me with my knee injury, but the recovery is looking really good,” said the player who captained the Welwitschias at the Rugby World Cup in France last year.
“I’m very happy with my fitness at the moment and I’ve been running for about a month now, so I’ll slot in whenever the boys start with the preseason, next week somewhere, then I’ll be in and ready to train with them at full steam as we prepare for the EPCR Challenge for the first week in December.
“I think we’re playing a warm-up game somewhere. I’m not 100% sure yet, but I’ll be in next week somewhere, full steam ahead in preparation. It’s obviously going to be difficult finding a place there because the boys have been playing some good rugby in my position in the last Currie Cup, so there is heavy competition, but that’s always nice.
“If the competition is healthy between the boys, it brings the best out of everyone, so it’s good. I’m just excited to get back and get stuck in with the boys again. It’s never easy being out for that long, although sometimes it’s good to get your head clean and get some perspective on things again.
“Sometimes it’s bad, but sometimes it’s good as well, just so you realise what you miss and how exciting it is to play rugby. So yeah, now I’m really, really excited.”
The Cheetahs will face the Bulls in the final week of November in a warm-up match to be played at Loftus Versfeld before jetting off to the Netherlands.
The Cheetahs will face Perpignan on 8 December in Amsterdam in the opening round of the EPCR Challenge Cup.
