When SA Rugby announced that salaries would be cut, they allowed players three weeks to seek offers overseas.

The 21-day exit window expired at midnight on Thursday.

Some of the Super Rugby franchises have been hit with players leaving, and the biggest name to depart is Malcolm Marx, who will leave the Lions.

Cheetahs coach, Hawies Fourie, told OFM Sport that he glad to retain all of his players for now.

“We are happy to report that we haven’t lost any players to this 21-day rule. The players have been with us during the season will all be with us until the end of October, then there will be some players whose contracts will be finishing.

“There will be a few that will be moving on, but none will go overseas through this rule.”

The players who are set for a departure are the hooker Joseph Dweba who will be heading to play for Bordeaux-Begles in France, while the lock Walt Steenkamp is also leaving, and his destination is expected to be Pretoria where he will play for the Bulls.

Steenkamp’s partner in the second-row, Sintu Manjezi, is also expected to join the Bulls, but this has not been confirmed yet.

The loose forward, Jasper Wiese, will also bid farewell to then Cheetahs and he is linked with a move to Ireland.

In the meantime the Cheetahs have contracted Frans Steyn (Montpellier), Marcell Muller (Montpellier), George Cronjé (Clermont), Ian Groenewald (Griquas) and Jeandré Rudolph (Pumas).

Both Groenewald and Rudolph represented the Bulls this year in the Super Rugby.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport