Veteran Pienaar starts at flyhalf as Cheetahs brace for Western Force

Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie announced his team for the first of four Toyota Challenge matches against Australian outfit the Western Force in Bloemfontein on Friday.

The Cheetahs will be led by lock Victor Sekekete, with veteran Ruan Pienaar starting at flyhalf.

Pienaar, who was instrumental in the Cheetahs' run to the Currie Cup final, recently signed on for one more season at the Cheetahs. He will turn 40 on 10 March.

"We look forward to getting back on the field again and playing. It's great to play in the Toyota Challenge, it allows all of us to grow as a team," Fourie said.

"I think the pace of the game will be high, and the skills of both teams will be of good quality. Spectators can look forward to a nice open running game, hopefully, both teams will be able to score some tries and play attractive rugby."

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The 2023 Toyota Challenge will again boast a total prize money of R1 million, with R250 000 awarded for each match. 

Fans supporting their favourite team at the Toyota Stadium will have much to look forward to. In addition to the prizes for the winning teams, a cash prize of R10 000 will be up for grabs for one lucky fan who post a picture of themselves at the game in Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein in the comment of the competition posts with the #ToyotaChallenge2023.

Friday's match at Free State Stadium kicks off at 17:00 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Cheetahs team:

15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Cohen Jasper, 13 Evardi Boshoff, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Litha Nkula, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Rewan Kruger, 8 Friedle Olivier, 7 Sibabalo Qoma, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (captain), 4 Rynier Bernardo, 3 Hencus van Wyk, 2