The Toyota Cheetahs and former Springbok scrumhalf, Ruan Pienaar, has confirmed that he will be retiring from rugby as a player this year.

On Thursday night Pienaar was named as the Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year during the annual SA Rugby Awards that was held in Johannesburg.

This comes just days after he celebrated his 40th birthday, becoming the second Cheetah this year to reach the milestone after Schalk Ferreira.

Pienaar told OFM Sport that by June he will hang up his boots but first he still has a couple of games in him, such as the EPCR Challenge Cup round of 16 game against Clermont in France.

“I think my retirement will be in June - that will be me and I don't think I will be playing in the Currie Cup again,” said the Free State legend.

“It's special to sort of end it this way with an accolade. I think you've got to make a decision at some stage in your career and I feel that the time will be right in June. I hang up the boots then and see where life takes us.”

The 88-time capped Springbok added that he is happy with how his understudies, Rewan Kruger, Ruben de Haas and the 18-year-old Christiaan van der Westhuizen have developed at the union.

“Rewan has made massive strides and I think he has grown a lot as a player. Christiaan who has just come out of school is a great prospect for us, and he has been training with us for the past few months and it's exciting to see him come along.

“Then Ruben de Haas is back in Bloem as well and he is a really good player - it was obviously disappointing for him when he injured his knee last year, but he is almost back on the playing field.

“I think that there are good options in the number nine jersey and it is exciting to see their progress.”

It appears that Pienaar will not be lost to Free State rugby as there has been a suggestion that he will join the coaching staff.

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Morgan Piek OFM Sport