Venter, is currently in Japan, where he still has four games to play for the Toshiba Brave Lupus in the Top League and the Japanese Cup.

Venter’s return will bring some much-needed experience to the team which has managed to win just two of their ten Guinness Pro 14 games thus far.

Especially with Oupa Mohoje still side-line for a lengthy period, Venter, will have to shoulder some of the leadership responsibility in the team. After all, he did learn from one of the best while in Japan, as he played under the seasoned Japanese international skipper, Michael Leitch. 

Speaking to OFM Sport from Tokyo, Venter, said that he does not consider himself to be a senior player in the Cheetahs setup.

“I just see myself as one of the players, not as one of the senior men in the side.

“I am just a guy that wants to win at the team, I just want to do my part to help out.

“I believe that you must set an example and lead by being who you are and by the way that you play, and not by just taking on the field. It must be done by the way that you behave, the way you play and by the way that you play.

“That is just the way I feel, and it also one of the big things that I learnt here in Japan.”

The Cheetahs next game in the Guinness Pro14 in on 6 January against Zebre in Parma.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport