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VS CHEETAHS 27 1APRIL SEP 14:00 • 17:30 BLOEMFONTEIN CONTENTS CHEETAHS TOYOTA CHEETAHS EDITORIAL TEAM Guinness PRO14 Welcome Message Ronel Pienaar Kobus le Roux Toyota Sponsor’s Message Chantelle du Plessis Free State Rugby Union Message ADVERTISING AND SUITES Wilna Jurack Free State Cheetahs (Pty) Ltd Message 084 854 4492 Toyota Cheetahs Player Profiles PHOTOGRAPHY Johan Pretorius Toyota Free State XV vs Sharks XV TOYOTA CHEETAHS Toyota Cheetahs vs Kings MARKETING MANAGER Kobus le Roux Guinness PRO14 Fixtures & Results COPYRIGHT The official Cheetahs programme is compiled by Yskoud.com under license from Cheetahs (Pty) Ltd. All registered trademarks remain the property of Cheetahs and are used with Cheetahs permission. The views expressed in this programme are not necessarily those of Yskoud.com or Cheetahs. All right reserved. No part of this programme may be reproduced in any form, without the prior arrangement of the Cheetahs. CheetahsRugby www.facebook.com/CheetahsRugby @CheetahsRugby www.fscheetahs.co.za What better way to prepare for the Guinness PRO14 Final Series than with a slate full of derby games as we approach the last seven games of the regular season. It’s been an eventful season once again for the Guinness PRO14 and we enter Round 21 with five teams set for the knock-out stages, but only three of them have secured their seedings. In Conference A, two of our former champions Munster and Glasgow Warriors are duelling for the top spot and in Conference B three teams are still capable of claiming the last Final Series berth. There’s also five teams in the running to appear in the Champions Cup Play-O game so there’s still so much to play for across the Championship. History could also be made today if Benetton Rugby can overcome Zebre in their derby game to become the first-ever Italian side to qualify for our knock-out stages. Success for Benetton would also mean that they become the first Italian team to qualify for the Champions Cup on merit. It’s only a couple of years since full meritocracy was put in place and the impetus it has created is providing positive results already. For the second season in a row Judgement Day takes place in Round 21 and there is so much on the line at the Principality Stadium. Scarlets are not out of the title race yet and if they can pick up a bonus-point win over Dragons, then they’ll have a chance of leapfrogging Edinburgh and Benetton should those sides fail to win. Wayne Pivac’s men will also want to be in the running for the Champions Cup Play-O which takes us to our second game in Cardi. Cardi Blues and Ospreys are in a straight shoot-out for the Champions Cup Play-O berth from Conference A with just a point between them it’s simply a case of winner takes all. In fact, the winner will also earn the right to host the Play-O game, too. I would also like to acknowledge the much-discussed call from the TMO and Match Ocial team in Cardi Blues’ last game away to Connacht. As a tournament organiser we are determined to put in processes and facilities to assist our Match Ocials in getting these big decisions right and anything less than that isn’t good enough for our teams and their fans. We have already instigated a review which may well culminate in upgrades and improvements to be made. It should be noted that over the course of the last nine months the Championship has sanctioned investment of an additional £1million per year on our elite match ociating services compared to the previous year. This investment has been made on the basis of a five-year plan developed by our Elite Referee Manager, Greg Garner in August 2018, who joined from the RFU. It has allowed Greg to invest more in our analysis of referee performances as well as a continuous professional development programme aimed at ensuring that our match ocials team are attaining a level of excellence in every game. I must say that we have a superb team of match ocials both on the elite panel and the encouragingly the development programme who are working diligently with Greg daily to improve all the time. We thank them and the referees managers in each of our Unions for buying into the changes being implemented. We know we must do more and that challenge excites all of us as we strive to be the best rugby championship in the world. In Bloemfontein, our South African sides play their final derby of the campaign. It is fair to say that there are high hopes for both the Toyota Cheetahs and the Isuzu Southern Kings for next season after a tough second year in the Guinness PRO14. However, a showreel of their attacking play would make for a mouth-watering watch and we’ll be looking forward to more of that flair in 2019/20. Congratulations to Leinster for reaching their fifth Champions Cup Final last weekend. Leo Cullen has done a terrific job with the province, so good in fact he brings his squad to Belfast to face Ulster with a home Semi-Final already locked up while their hosts will welcome Connacht in a week’s time for their Quarter-Final clash. I’m delighted that the day finishes up with simultaneous kick-os in Glasgow and Limerick with both Glasgow Warriors and Munster chasing the home Semi-Final place from Conference A. Warriors take on Edinburgh, themselves need to win for their hopes of reaching the Final Series or the European Play-O, while Munster set themselves upon a dangerous Connacht side eager to retain their momentum ahead of the knock-out stages. Finally, KAARTJIESI would like toAANLYN thank each BESKIKBAAR and every one - www.fscheetahs.co.za of you who has attended our games this season and shown your commitment to your clubs. Our attendances have held strong again this year thanks to the quality of rugby on oer and some of you may be lucky enough to see the regular-season try record broken for the third year in a row – just 27 tries are needed today to break last year’s tally of 861. To the teams signing o on their campaigns today, I wish them a very healthy and rewarding break while it is best of luck to the teams who remain in the hunt. Remember, no matter who you support the season doesn’t end until May 25 when the Guinness PRO14 trophy is lifted into the Glasgow sky at Celtic Park. Guarantee your place by going direct to bit.ly/glasgow2019 to get your tickets. Enjoy the game, Martin Anayi Chief Executive Ocer TOYOTA SPONSOR’S MESSAGE Welcome to today’s Guinness Pro 14 match with a brand of rugby everybody adores and here at Toyota Stadium. loves. We are approaching the backend of another We will be monitoring the Toyota Cheetahs thrilling Pro14 tournament and this time very closely and our expectations of Franco around it has without a doubt been the tough- Smith and his charges will be very high. est yet for the Toyota Cheetahs, but one in which a lot of important work was done in We are confident that they will play their hearts order to lead the team into the future. out and make us and all their supporters proud. The expectations were exceedingly high, especially when one takes into account that To the opposition – welcome to Toyota during their debut season in the Pro14 they Stadium. The battles will be tough and uncom- managed to reach the playoffs. promising, but we are sure you will experience some of our world-famous Free State hospitali- The 2018/19 season was deemed to be a ty during your stay. rebuilding season and with this nearly complete, it is time to move on to the next And lastly, but certainly not least, to our loyal phase, and that will be the execution phase. fans who support the team week in and out, Once again we will be walking this tough, yet thank you for your exceptional undying exciting journey alongside the Toyota Chee- support for the Toyota Cheetahs. You are the tahs. heartbeat of the stadium, the inspiration for the players and without you, rugby would be a We are proud to announce that we have lot poorer. Thank you again for supporting our extended our partnership with the Toyota team. Cheetahs for a further three years. This contract will still include the title sponsorship for the Toyota Cheetahs Pro14, Currie Cup, SuperSport Rugby Challenge and junior Enjoy the match. teams. The sponsorship also includes the naming rights of Toyota Stadium, an icon in Bloemfon- tein and the Free State, as well as the naming rights of the Toyota Cheetah Academy, the breeding ground of the next generation Toyota Cheetah players. This will take our partnership with the Toyota Cheetahs to over a decade and in an econom- Andrew Kirby ic climate which sees Super Rugby teams President and CEO battling to sign deals for the upcoming season, of Toyota South Africa we can say that we are proud to be associated FREE STATE RUGBY UNION MESSAGE CHEETAHS Today marks the last Guinness PRO14 cannot be successful. match for the 2018/19 season and with this South African derby it is a May you all enjoy this day and privilege for me as President of the especially the camaraderie of rugby Free State Rugby Union to welcome friends.