By Brenden Nel.
The Toyota Cheetahs have snapped up two Airlink Puma stars for the forseeable future and have managed to extend the contracts of two more of their players.
Following on the news that both Frans Steyn and Ruan Pienaar have signed on for another year, the Cheetahs announced that two of their loose forwards – Gideon van der Merwe and Andisa Ntsila had extended their contracts for another year.
They will boost that with the return of Daniel Maartens, who previously played for the Cheetahs but has been at the Pumas this year and his team-mate and winger Tapiwa Mafura, who will also join the Bloemfontein side in November.
“Free State Rugby is pleased to announce that two loose forwards have extended their contracts with the Toyota Cheetahs. Gideon van der Merwe and Andisa Ntsila have been standout players during the 2022 Currie Cup and will remain committed to the team for another year, “a team statement said.
“Two former Toyota Cheetah players, Daniel Maartens (flank) and Tapiwa Mafura (wing/fullback) will be returning to the Free State in November after a stint at the Pumas in Nelspruit.”
The Cheetahs are currently second in the Currie Cup standings.