Like the rest of all the sports teams across the country, the Cheetahs have been training at home using dedicated fitness programmes, while some of the players did rent equipment like treadmills, stationary bikes and weights from various gyms in Bloemfontein.

There is, however, nothing like taking to the road and doing the hard yards on the tarmac in order to boost the fitness levels and they welcome the opportunity to break a proper sweat again. Apart from the obvious fitness benefit, going for a run or cycle is also a very important tool in maintaining mental wellness.

On Wednesday the government announced that South Africans will be permitted to run, cycle or go for a walk between 6 am and 9 am every day within their own neighbourhoods and within a 5km radius from one’s home.

The Cheetahs backline centre, William Small-Smith, told OFM Sport that while he is enjoying the time with his young family, he welcomes the chance to go for a run, albeit they are still waiting to hear when they can start partaking in team training again.

“My wife is going back to work on Monday, so I will be on dad duty for the remainder of the lockdown or until we start training again.

“With regard to the level four lockdown being in place as from Friday we are still waiting for clarity from our coaches and management about how we are going to go forward from here.

“Up until now, the guys’ attitude has been amazing. There have been many training, cooking videos and clever ways to stay fit. The guys are doing things like tackling bags of grass or running up and down their driveways. They really are doing their part to stay fit.

“We are still waiting for clarity from SA Rugby about when the domestic tournament will start or if it will start. At the moment I am just excited to see my teammates again and I cannot wait to get back to training with them, but I am not exactly sure how long that will be.

“My alarm is set for six o’clock on Friday morning to go for a nice run.”

At this point in time group gatherings are still not permitted, which means that all sporting teams may not start with their team training yet. It is unclear at which level of the lockdown this will be permitted.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport