CHEETAHS VS 26 JANUARY1 SEP 14:00 • 15:00 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 Cheetahs vs Zebre TOYOTA CHEETAHS Guinness PRO14 Fixtures & Results MARKETING MANAGER Kobus le Roux 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 As the Guinness PRO14 kicks back into gear this weekend in Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and Wales it is great to see the Championship in such a healthy position. With Europe’s pool stages complete we are immensely proud to see five of our clubs in the draw for the Champions Cup Quarter-Finals and to have Connacht in the Challenge Cup knock-outs, too. It is the first time since 2012 that we have had so many teams in the knock-out stages of the Champions Cup and that is reflective of not only the talent on the pitch but the coaching teams and the structures of the clubs o it. To see two Scottish clubs in the Quarter-Finals is a terrific achievement and a sure sign of where the game in Scotland is at. The national team and the clubs are performing consistently under the direction of Scottish Rugby and in particular the work that has been going on at Edinburgh under Richard Cockerill has added to the strength of their professional game. In Ireland, Leinster and Munster continue to roll as they have in previous years and now Ulster have returned to the knock-outs as they regain their momentum under Dan McFarland this season and you wouldn’t bet against them reaching the Guinness PRO14 Final Series either. It’s also rewarding to see Connacht reach the Quarter-Finals in the Challenge Cup because of the positive rugby Andy Friend has them playing and a very honourable mention for Benetton Rugby. Although they didn’t reach the knock-outs, they came close on 20 points and also scored wins over Harlequins, Grenoble and Agen so there is certainly something sparking in Treviso right now. Naturally, a lot of debate has been sparked about which competition rules the roost when it comes to club rugby in the northern hemisphere with many diering opinions. To have five teams from the Guinness PRO14 present is a great accomplishment, as is our win ratio against teams from outside of our Championship over the past number of seasons. But it is important to understand that the Guinness PRO14 is a very dierent proposition to the domestic tournaments in England and France. For starters, those leagues are based upon private ownership, in our Championship we are led more by the unions who are shareholders in the tournament. Our metrics for success include performances in Europe and also how our shareholder unions perform in the Test arena, the exciting brand of rugby we produce in the Guinness PRO14 and the litany of Next Generation talent that so quickly establishes brand new stars of the world game. The talent of coaching in the Guinness PRO14 is also at an extremely high level with many coaches stepping up to take roles at international level based of their work in our Championship. That relies on technical expertise, shrewd recruitment and the ability to accelerate young players into front-line talent all while getting the best out their international stars. On these fronts we are delivering and that drive interest in the tournament through sponsorship and commercial activity which is already evidenced by our record broadcast deals that came into eect this season. As the games kick-o this weekend I want all supporters to know that the Guinness PRO14 is going from strength-to-strength and that the Championship has not yet reached the peak. It is an exciting journey and one that we know you will be on every step of the way. KAARTJIES AANLYN BESKIKBAAR - www.fscheetahs.co.za With upwards of 10 teams still in contention of the knock-out stages the Guinness PRO14 Final is coming up into view at Celtic Park on May 25. Without even making a tackle you can guarantee your place by going direct to bit.ly/glasgow2019 to get your tickets. The Guinness PRO14 Final has become a great event for supporters of all our clubs and if you fancy treating yourself, or perhaps surprising that passionate rugby fan in your life, then a trip to Celtic Park on May 25 should do the trick! Martin Anayi Chief Executive Ocer TOYOTA SPONSOR’S MESSAGE Welcome to today’s Guinness Pro 14 made of. We applaud the fighting spirit match here at Toyota Stadium. that you have and the opportunity to show new markets and new regions what It is amazing how rugby has changed over Toyota Cheetahs rugby means to all of us. the past 12 months. This time last year the We will be beside you as you embark on Toyota Cheetahs were in the Vodacom this new challenge, and will continue to Super Rugby tournament and now they show the support we have provided over face new, exciting and sometimes the past few years as not only a sponsor, unknown opposition in the Pro14 tourna- but as a proud partner of Toyota Chee- ment. tahs. A year is a long time in rugby it seems. To the opposition – welcome to Toyota Still, there are things that haven’t Stadium. The battles will be tough and changed, things that have improved and uncompromising, but we are sure you will things that will improve even more. experience some of our world-famous Not only are the Toyota Cheetahs doing Free State hospitality during your stay. ground-breaking work by competing against the best of the Northern Hemi- And lastly, but certainly not least, to our sphere, they are charting a new way loyal fans who support the team week in forward and creating a breeding ground and out, thank you for your exceptional of players who understand the conditions, undying support for the Toyota Cheetahs. and what it takes to succeed in this new You are the heartbeat of the stadium, the environment. inspiration for the players and without you rugby would be a lot poorer. Thank you This has always been the Toyota Cheetahs again for supporting our team. way, to play an attractive brand of rugby and to develop top class players that South Africa can be proud of. Toyota has Enjoy the match. always been the catalyst for success in supporting the players in the team and our partnership is stronger than ever, ensuring the Toyota Cheetahs can enter this bold new world with both confidence and strength. To Franco Smith and his team, we stand with you as you enter this new battle- Andrew Kirby ground, this new challenge that will both President and CEO test us and show the world what we are of Toyota South Africa FREE STATE RUGBY UNION MESSAGE CHEETAHS It is a big privilege for me as President Toyota for their sponsorship of the of the Free State Rugby Union to Toyota Cheetahs as well as all the welcome everyone at the first other sponsors without whom we Guinness PRO14 of 2018 in Toyota cannot be successful. Stadium. We also welcome the management, players for Zebre, all May you all enjoy this day and the way from Italy. especially the camaraderie of rugby friends. Today we welcome you, our loyal supporters, back and also thank you Your Sincerely for your wonderful support. Your support encourages the team and motivates them to reach bigger heights. It’s great to see the level of passion and commitment of fans who live and breathe every kick, every hit, every call and every try. Jerry Segwaba A very special word of thanks to President JOSEPH DWEBA FREE STATE CHEETAHS (PTY) LTD MESSAGE CHEETAHS It is an honour for me to welcome team well with the encounter today. everyone to today’s first Guinness PRO14 home game of 2019. We look forward to Welcome to all our suite holders, season see the Toyota Cheetahs and Zebre in ticket holders and loyal supporters. We action, especially after the encounter hope that you will enjoy a day of summer earlier this month in Parma. rugby with us. We as the Toyota Cheetahs are proud to Thank you for all your support. We are be part of Guinness PRO14 with 297 looking forward to a great year. International players appearing in the Championship this year, and specially looking at teams like Edinburgh, Glasgow Warriors, Munster, Leinster and Ulster who all progressed to the knock-out stages of Champions Cup over the weekend. This clearly shows the standard of teams which we compete with. Guinness PRO14 and the participating Ryno Opperman teams have made great strides in the Chairman previous couple of years. We are proud of the team’s performance so far in 2019 and I wish Franco and his SHAUN VENTER TOYOTA CHEETAHS PLAYER PROFILES CHEETAHS 1 12 13 PROP HOOKER PROP 105 kg 108kg 120 kg 1.75 m 1.75 m 1.86 m 34 caps 13 caps 34 caps OX NCHE JOSEPH DWEBA ARANOS COETZEE 14 15 16 LOCK LOCK FLANK 109 kg 115 kg 105 kg 1.97 m 2.09 m 1.87 m 5 caps 11 caps 23 caps SINTU MANJEZI WALT STEENKAMP JUNIOR POKOMELA 17 18 19 FLANK NO.