This season the Cheetahs senior team has rewritten the history books by qualifying for the Super Rugby play-offs for the first time since they became an independent franchise back in 2006. In addition to this they finished the regular season ahead of two major rivals namely the Sharks and the Stormers (WP in disguise). Now their junior Currie Cup teams are off to a good start.
While the other top South African franchises have depended on Golden Lions players to support their respective causes, the Cheetahs are not quite the Free State only either. They receive input from the Griquas who supplied them with the valuable contributor Willie le Roux this season. However the bulk of the regular team is from the Free State Rugby Union and they are based in Bloemfontein. The association with the Free State is undeniable. Although the Cheetahs don’t have the financial muscle of the Bulls, the Sharks and the Stormers, their three main local rivals, they are getting the job done and going along extremely well right now.
A great deal of this success story starts at the bottom with their juniors who work their way up through the rugby system. The Cheetahs may not be in a position to offer school graduates the same kind of hefty financial contracts that rivals fork out but what they have done and continue to do is offer boys an excellent opportunity to make it big in professional rugby. Kids who are prepared to sacrifice short term rewards in pursuit of longer term goals, will not be let down by the first class facilities, the coaching and the opening of doors to a prosperous professional rugby career that the Free State offers. Add the nearby University of the Free State’s tertiary educational opportunities into this equation and the completeness of the rugby package is evident.
Over the weekend Free State entertained Western Province’s highly rated under-19 and under-21 teams. The results were extremely pleasing for the hosts. The Free State under-19 team drew 18-18 and the under-21 team won 18-16.
New provincial representatives at the respective Unions
| # | FREE STATE u19 | SCHOOL | # | WESTERN PROVINCE u19 | SCHOOL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marthinus Oosthuizen | Outeniqua | 1 | Liam Hendricks | HJS Paarl BH | |
| 2 | Cameron van Heerden | Pretoria BH | 2 | Ramone Samuels | Paul Roos | |
| 3 | Henco vd Westhuizen | Voortrekker Beth | 3 | Michael van Tonder | HJS Paarl BH | |
| 4 | Gilbert Chalmers | Noord-Kaap | 4 | Sebastian Ferreira | HJS Paarl BH | |
| 5 | Andre Venter | Monnas | 5 | Jan Uys | Paul Roos | |
| 6 | Stefan Koen | Grey College | 6 | Johan de Villiers | Boland Landbou | |
| 7 | Sihle Ngxabi | Glenwood | 7 | Luke van der Smit | SACS | |
| 8 | Francois Jones | Centurion | 8 | Devon Nash | St David’s Inanda | |
| 9 | Mthokozisi Mkhabela | Glenwood | 9 | SP Ferreira | Paul Roos | |
| 10 | Pieter Jordaan | Grey College | 10 | Chris Smith | SACS | |
| 11 | Charlton Koopman | Noord-Kaap | 11 | Michael Mvelase | Michaelhouse | |
| 12 | Nico Lee | Affies | 12 | Francois Botha | Boland Landbou | |
| 13 | Stephan Jv Rensburg | Grey College | 13 | Michael Hazner | Paul Roos | |
| 14 | Len le Roux | Noord-Kaap | 14 | Marcus Geldenhuys | Paul Roos | |
| 15 | Vuyani Maqina | Noord-Kaap | 15 | Jason Worrall | Paul Roos | |
| 16 | Anrich Alberts | Framesby | 16 | Dian Wiese | Edugate / Otji Namibia | |
| 17 | Petrus Senekal | Paul Roos | 17 | Nico Steenkamp | Waterkloof | |
| 18 | Jan Venter | Nylstroom | 18 | Nathan Gogela | Wynberg | |
| 19 | Jean-Luke van Zyl | HJS Paarl BH | 19 | Steven Meiring | Affies | |
| 20 | Louis Venter | Affies | 20 | Sebastian Negri | Hilton | |
| 21 | Barend Bornman | Grey College | 21 | Pieter Schoonraad | HJS Paarl BH | |
| 22 | Michael Marx | Brandfordt | 22 | Christiaan Mouton | HJS Paarl BH | |
| 23 | Zybrand Lombaard | Monnas | 23 | Alvino Montjies | Paul Roos |
@Djou: Ja die 2 ysters en ek………….die metaal
Queenian
I second that ! – Free State/Cheetahs one of my favorite teams – although I am a sharkie I enjoy watching them( FS) play – I like there style and their spirit
Go Free State
Free State u.21 players and their schools. Notice the small “platteland schools”.
Marco Mason (Piet Potgieter), Maphuta Dolo (Ben Vorster), Tertius Kruger (Outeniqua), Niel Marais (Grey College – captain), Sethu Tom (Grey College), Lance Ruthford (Paarl Gim), Stefan Griesel (Pres. Steyn), Gerhard Olivier (Grey College), Henco Venter (Grey College), Tienie Burger (Grey College), Neil Claassen (HTS Daniel Pienaar), Pieter Matthee (EG Jansen), Carl van Heerden (Monnas), Wickus Deysel (Cradock), Chase Morison (Selbourne). Reserves: Jacques du Toit (Grey College), Luan de Bruin (Affies), Wickus Davis (Vryheid), Henco Greyling (Grey College), Kay-Kay Hlongwane (HTS Louis Botha), Pieter Morton (Ireland), JJ de Klerk (Grey College).
@Bog: Ja, hoe kan ons die 2 grotes vergeet! Ysters van formaat.
@Djou: En laat ons nie vir wyle Reuben Kruger vergeet nie en dan ook vir Speartackle van 1948 faam.
@Bog: Dink Boela du Plooy kom ook van Vrede af.
@Speartackle: Een afdraai is seker vir Noord Vrede en die ander vir die suidelike voorstede van Vrede@Djou: Wat van Piet Van Zyl wie van die einste Vrede kom?
@Woltrui: Sal ek nie vergeet nie. Stem saam, Nico het my verlede jaar strykdeur beindruk. Jammer Bulle het hom laat gaan. Interessant om in die Cheetahspan seuns van klein dorpies soos Brandfort, Nylstroom en Bethlehem te sien.
@Djou: Djou daai Affie binne senter, Nico Lee, is ene klas. Die spesifieke 0/19 groep is natuurlik die Affies groep wat Grey oortuigend geklop het.
@BOG: Was nogal verbaas toe ek onlangs van Durban na JHB gereis het die Vrede afdraai 2 keer op die N3 gesien het.
Hoop jyt daai wortelsskille in n Zibi blik gegooi tydens jou blaaskans Kuruman toe.
Interessant om te sien hoeveel spelers in die Cheetahspan weggegooi is deur die Stormers en mindere mate Bulle (maar Bulle het Superrugby halfeind gemaak). Hennie Daniller, Johan Sadie, Willie le Roux, Laurens Adriaanse, Elgar Watts.
@Woltrui; Die Kaapse manne het so gespog oor al hul oorwinnings op skolevlak en in Superrugby, dat hulle skoon vergeet het oor hul o.19 en o.21-spanne wat dit nie kon maak teen spanne wat baie minder geld verdien nie. So, laat ons hoop die Bulletjies klop die WP ordentlik, dan maak ons self die nuus daaroor op die blog.
@Speartackle: Vrede is weliswaar nie te vinde op Google nie, maar ek sal darem nie so ver gaan om te se dat die plek afgesonder is nie.
@Tjoppa: The Grey boys moved to The Sharks and the Bulls – more money. Glad however to see Affie-players to fill there boots.
@Ploegskaar: Yes Tredoux is doing wonders with a small budget. Maybe the love of the game is coming back.
@Bog @OudUppie: Dankie, ja sien Tienie het wel die “Squad” gemaak.
@PaarlBok: Inderwaarheid het minder Griekwas vanjaar vir die Cheetahs gespeel. Gereelde spelers was Willie le Roux, Laurens Adriaanse en Ligtoring Landman met Burton Francis en Ryno Barnes wat soms gespeel het. Verlede jaar was dit Le Roux, Rocco Jansen, Adriaanse, Martin Muller en Justin Downey wat gereeld gespeel het met Landman, Karemaker, Wilmaure Louw en Barnes wat minder gereeld gespeel het.
Ek merk op Mnr Afsondering is terug
Oh yes, and the fact that it is every Springboks dream to play for the Cheetahs one day, does help.
Die enigste rede dat die Cheetahs nou goed doen by die S15, is dat Naka wakker geskrik het en meer Griekwa spelers gebruik. As die Stormers dieslefde met Boland gedoen het kon daar van hul spelers nou hier gespeel het.
Boggie is een happie tjappie op die blog vandag
Beet ons hier in blou bul land is ook maar down in the dumps. Daar nie ook n opbeurende artikel vir ons Magtige Blou bul ondersteuners in Ptown nie
@Djou: Tienie Burger het wel Eerstes gespeel, maar dikwels van die plaasvervangersbank en soos OudUppie se, meestal as slot. Maar soos ek elders vir jou gese het, was hy nie “stand out” nie. Tog het iemand met groot insig iets raag gesien en toe reeds vir my in die oor gefluister om hom dop te hou op flank in die toekoms (hede)@Tjoppa: Jou geheue het jou weer verlaat. Di n O19 span hierdie en selfs twee vd vier het, sover ek weet, nie eerste span gespeel nie. Dit was nie verwag dat verlede jaar se span n groot opbrengs sal lewer nie.
@Djou: Ek mag verkeerd wees, maar sover ek weet het Tienie wel vir Grey se 1st span gespeel – hy was toe slot maar speel nou flank en agsteman. Sal seker maak – sy jonger boetie speel saam met my seun.
Goeie rugby gespeel hierdie jaar, ek dink hulle het die meeste met die bal gehardloop hierdie seisoen, wonder of daar statistieke is hiervoor. ‘n Klomp jong spelers wat deur die senior manne gelei word, blerrie lekker om te sien.
@sacssupporter: Can assure you that the contribution of Andre Tredoux at the union cannot be underestimated either. His eye for spotting talent alone makes him one of the FS Unions biggest assets.
Nice to see two SACS boys in the U19 WP team!
read a very interesting article in the Sunday papers about how the Cheetahs have changed their whole approach to conditioning their players through studying what each position needs in terms of strength, speed, size, muscle build etc. and instead of the guys spending hours every day mindlessly pumping iron to build a ripped muscle bound body they train each position on what it needs. They actually re-taught many players how to run!
It certainly has paid off – two serious injuries all season compared to the 15 to 18 serious injuries of the sharks and stormers. And they operate on half the annual budget of the Sharks/Bulls.
Well done Cheetahs – SA rugby is always healthy when the Cheetahs are good!
@Djou: Where has all the Grey boys gone? Oops I forgot to the Bulls and see what happened to them. It just shows.
No player from Paarl Gim in either one of the sides. Seems like Glenwood players have another option apart from the Sharks, whilst players from Affies at last is discovering that the Cheetahs is the way to go.
@Bog: Ja gesien Tienie Burger was die uitstaande speler in Cheetahs 0.21 se oorwinning oor WP. Nog ‘n Piet van Zyl aan die kom sienende dat hy nie Grey 1stes gespeel het nie.
On the rise? I think that they have risen for quite a while now. Look at their HISTORY and compare it to the other unions.