Several stalwarts of Cheetahs rugby have already and will be bidding the team farewell, and these players are the likes of Joseph Dweba, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Sintu Manjezi, Jasper Wiese and Walt Steenkamp.

By the same token, some experienced players have joined such as Frans Steyn and Howard Mnisi.

Fourie told OFM Sport that the seniors must mentor the younger players.

“From my side, the plan was to change our junior system and to get the top five or six juniors to training with the seniors and appoint mentors for them. 

"This is to get them into our culture and the way we play as early as possible to give them a chance to be ready to play Currie Cup rugby for the Cheetahs at the age of 20 or 21.

“We will obviously have to grow and develop this process and use the seniors with the experience to guide them on and off the field. It is a new process that we have started and we are excited with all of the talent that we have got in our junior ranks.

“I am pretty sure those guides will learn fast. They are all very competitive players and are really driven. They want to reach the top and it will make a big difference if they can learn from guys like Ruan Pienaar, Frans Steyn, Oupa Mohoje and the others.

“I think it is a good process that we have started and it is important that we help these young players to achieve what they wanted to achieve when they signed with us.”

To OFM Sport’s understanding, a further four juniors will be heading to the City of Roses, however, they are said to be from outside of the Free State.

On Wednesday the former Sharks loose-forward Andisa Ntsila joined the Cheetahs on a two-year contract.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport