Cheetahs ready to bring attitude to SA Cup opener against Kavalilers

The Toyota Cheetahs are set to kick-off their first SA Cup game of the 2026 season against the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers on Friday, the main game in Toyota Stadium kicks off at 6pm and will be live on SuperSport Streaming channel 247 (OTT 3).

At 2pm Grey College Peaches takes on Hentie Cilliers’ from Virginia’s second team and at 3.45pm Grey College Cherries will face the Hentie Cilliers’ first team.

Come and enjoy braaivleis at the new Freddy Hirch braai area at the Castle Deck when the gates open at 1pm.

Five randomly selected fans can win big in the Kloppers Expert Kick to Win Competition. Each finalist will get one shot to kick a rugby ball into any of the eight bins placed on the field, and if the ball lands inside a bin, they win the prize hidden inside.

Tickets are R60 for adults on the main stand, R40 for adults on the open stand, and R30 for students and kids. Tickets are available online at Ticketpro or at the ticket office in Toyota Stadium.

If you drive a Toyota vehicle, you can park for free in the Toyota parking area at Toyota Stadium. Remember to have your matchday ticket ready to show at the gate. Entrance to the Toyota parking area is only at Gate 1 in Att Horak Avenue. Space is limited, so come early.

Enjoy the day with your family and friends at Toyota Stadium and be part of all the action. Join us on Friday – it's going to be a great day with exciting rugby!

Daniel Wesley will provide entertainment after the game at the Castle Deck.

Coach Frans Steyn said: “Our team is in a good space at the moment but we know there’s still a lot of work to do. The focus for us is to keep improving and to be better on Friday than we were in the last game we played against Racing 92 in the EPCR Challenge Cup. With every match we play, we want to take a step forward and keep building on what we’ve done before.

“We want to grow as a squad and we understand that it takes everyone pulling together to build something special. We’re still developing and still building but there’s a strong belief in this group and hopefully that will soon translate into good, winning rugby.

“We’re all chasing that perfect game every day - in training and on match day - and the reality is it will never be perfect. There will always be mistakes. What matters is how we respond: how we fight for each other, how we fix things on the field and how we get each other out of trouble. For us, that attitude is just as important as the result right now. We want to show how proud we are of the jersey and the province we represent and that’s something we want to make clear this weekend.”

The referee for the match is Morne Ferreira. He will be assisted by Tiaan Engelbrecht and DJ Hefer. The TMO is Aimee Barrett-Theron.

The Cheetahs proudly celebrate a significant milestone this Friday as Carl Wegner runs out for his 100th match in the orange jersey.

Born and bred in the Free State and a proud Grey College alumnus, Wegner embodies the heart and resilience of Free State rugby. He made his professional debut for the Cheetahs on 8 September 2012 against Western Province in Bloemfontein, the beginning of a journey that would see him become one of the union’s most respected stalwarts.

Although his career took him abroad to broaden his experience, representing Stade Français in France (2012-2014), Toyota Verblitz in Japan (2018-2020) and Benetton Rugby in Italy (2021-2023), Wegner’s loyalty to his roots remained unwavering. Time and again, he returned to Bloemfontein, bringing with him invaluable international experience and leadership.

The 35-year-old lock’s 100 appearances span multiple competitions, including 24 Super Rugby games, 31 Currie Cup matches, 10 SA Cup games, 10 EPCR Challenge Cup fixtures, 11 Guinness PRO14 matches, five Toyota Challenge games, four Super Rugby Unlocked matches and four Franchise Cup encounters. Charl further represented the Central Cheetahs in 16 matches (2013-2015). Across competitions and seasons, Wegner has been a pillar of consistency, physicality and professionalism.

Wegner is the definition of a Cheetahs stalwart, a player who leads through action, inspires through work ethic and represents the badge with pride.

Rugby excellence runs deep in the Wegner family. His late father, Callie Wegner, a former Free State hooker, earned 75 caps of his own. Carl and Callie are among a select group of father-and-son combinations to have each played more than 50 matches for the Free State, along side the Pienaar family (Gysie and Ruan Pienaar) and the Du Toit family (Pikkie Sr and JP du Toit Jr). This proud lineage underscores the rich heritage and generational passion that defines Free State Rugby.

As Carl reaches this century milestone, the Cheetahs honour not only his contribution on the field but his loyalty, resilience and enduring commitment to the jersey.

Congratulations, Carl, 100 games strong and still charging forward.

Meanwhile, back under the tutelage of his former Varsity Cup coach, Hawies Fourie, the versatile Chris Smit is looking to revive his career as a professional rugby player with the Kavaliers.

Smit, who hails from Somerset West, recently returned to the Western Cape after spending three seasons with the Vodacom Bulls.

The 30-year-old centre, who can also slot in at flyhalf with ease, rose to fame at FNB Varsity Cup level with the University of Stellenbosch (Maties), where he helped the Maroon Machine win back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019.

Coincidentally, it was Fourie who was in charge of the last Maties side to win this competition.

Smit would then follow his Varsity Cup mentor to Bloemfontein, where Fourie coached the Toyota Cheetahs to the 2023 Currie Cup Premier Division title.

He would miss out on Currie Cup success alongside Fourie, as he had made the move to the Bulls ahead of that season.

Now, back under Fourie’s guidance, Smit is hoping to taste some more success by helping his new team to try and win the SA Cup and, at the same time, qualify for the Currie Cup Premier Division that kicks off later this year.

But what makes playing for Fourie so special?

“It is just the way that he examines and thinks about the game and how he has always managed to instil confidence in his players during a week to go out and execute the game plan that has been put forward,” says Smit.

“I could always trust his judgment when it came to analysing the opposition teams. The manner in which he engages with his players and makes you feel valued within an environment is one quality that makes him stand out from other coaches.”

Of how Fourie is not a coach who plays favourites when it comes to team selection, Smit adds: “He backs all of us to be able to go out there and do a job on the day.

“He told us that it will take a squad effort to reach our goals this season, especially using the SA20 Champions, the Eastern Cape Sunrisers, as an example of how they utilised their entire roster to bag their third title in three seasons.

“I have been at teams where coaches talk about how it will take buy-in from everyone to reach a goal, but then it is not implemented in that way. Here at Boland, it is totally the opposite under coach Hawies’ guidance.”

Smit spent almost four seasons at the Bulls but admits that a lack of game time at Loftus made him search for a new challenge.

“Yes, I must be honest with you, I did not get a lot of opportunities to play during the last few seasons there. It was partly due to injuries and because of the size of the Bulls squad and Springboks playing in the position that I am vying for a spot, which also made it difficult to get a regular look-in.

“I, however, enjoyed my time in Pretoria, with my wife and I making a lot of new friends and giving birth to our son there.

“But it feels good to be back in the Western Cape, where we are closer to our family.”

Toyota Cheetahs starting XV: 15 Michael Annies, 14 Munier Hartzenberg, 13 De-an Ackerman, 12 Zander du Plessis, 11 Prince Nkabinde; 10 Ethan Wentzel, 9 Christiaan van der Westhuizen; 8 Gideon van der Merwe, 7 Sisonke Vumazonke, 6 Daniel Maartens; 5 Curtley Thomas, 4 Carl Wegener; 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Louis van der Westhuizen (capt), 1 Matome Manyama. Replacements: 16 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 17 Tielman Niewoudt, 18 Frankie Dos Reis, 19 Pieter Jansen van Vuren, 20 Neels Volschenk, 21 Jandre Nel, 22 Cohen Jasper, 23 Clayton Blommetjies.

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers starting XV: 15 Domenic Smit, 14 Jade Stighling, 13 Lunathi Nxele, 12 Chris Smit, 11 Xavier Mitchell; 10 Juan Mostert, 9 Louis Schreuder; 8 Thurlow Marsh, 7 Kwanda Dimaza, 6 Sauliegh Arendse; 5 Marlyn Williams, 4 Jeandre Leonard; 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2 Sidney Tobias, 1 Dewald Maritz. Replacements: 16 Joshua Eras, 17 Mthokozisi Gumede, 18 Andrew Beerwinkel, 19 Michael Benadie, 20 Khwezi Mafu, 21 Chriswill September, 22 Erik Lambrecht, 23 Thurlon Williams.

Toyota Cheetahs v Sanlam Boland Kavaliers - Friday @ Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein (6pm)

Referee: Morne Ferreira

TV: SuperSport