Some teams will be travelling this week, including the Toyota Cheetahs, who depart for Amsterdam on Tuesday evening. The Cheetahs will be without regular captain Victor Sekekete and former UFS Shimlas skipper Pierre Uys, who are both recovering from facial injuries.

Junior Springbok hooker Juan Smal has been included in the side and said he is excited for his first tour with the Toyota Cheetahs.  The team will spend a few days acclimatising and training in conditions expected to be far colder than those experienced in December. Smal added that he is ready to embrace the challenge.

“I’m just very grateful for this opportunity. I just want to learn as much as I can and do my best. That’s basically it,” he said.

“At the moment, I just want to do what I can and show everyone what I’m about, and what type of player I am. I just want to play my style of rugby and do the best for the team.”

Smal’s rugby journey started at Paarl Boys’ High in the Boland, before he moved on to the Bulls Under-21 side.  He was also included in South Africa’s Under-20 team, which participated in the 2024 World Rugby Under-20 Championship. This had allowed him to learn and grow as a rugby player.

“Going to the Bulls, I learned a lot. Coming here as well, I’ve learned so much more. After school, I’ve just learned so much about rugby in different places, how different unions play.”

The Cheetahs will first face Ulster at the NRCA Stadium in Amsterdam on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 17:15, before heading to Paris, France, where they will wrap up their pool campaign against Racing 92.

OFM Sport/Ilse Smalberger cvs