Faf de Klerk set for first South African club game in a decade with Cheetahs debut

Faf de Klerk will pull on a Cheetahs jersey for the first time this Sunday when the Toyota Cheetahs host the Golden Lions at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein in round one of the Currie Cup, marking the 34-year-old’s return to South African club rugby after nearly a decade abroad.

The double World Cup winner left South Africa following a stint with Sale Sharks in England, where he spent four years before moving to Yokohama Canon Eagles in Japan Rugby League One for a further four seasons. His return to South Africa was confirmed in April, and Sunday’s fixture will be his first club game on home soil since departing.

De Klerk, who holds 60 Springbok caps, was left out of Rassie Erasmus’ South Africa squad for the Nations Championship last month. He did, however, make a swift return to the international stage, representing the Barbarians against Wales at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, at the end of June.

At the Cheetahs, de Klerk will form a half-back partnership with former Scotland fly-half Jaco van der Walt, with Neels Völschenk captaining the side.

The club were unambiguous about their enthusiasm for the signing. “We are beyond excited to welcome Faf to the Cheetahs family,” the club said in a statement. “His tenacity on the field and his leadership off it are exactly what we need as we continue to compete at the highest level. Faf is a player who changes the tempo of a game, and we know our supporters are eager to see him in the orange jersey.”

The Toyota Cheetahs XV named for Sunday’s match reads: 15. Clayton Blommetjies; 14. Cohen Jasper, 13. Munier Hartzenberg, 12. Zander du Plessis, 11. Micheal Annies; 10. Jaco van der Walt, 9. Faf de Klerk; 1. Tielman Nieuwoudt, 2. Marko Janse van Rensburg, 3. Aranos Coetzee, 4. Carl Wegner, 5. Victor Sekekete, 6. Ramon Uys, 7. Juan Venter, 8. Neels Völschenk (captain). Replacements: 16. Juan Small, 17. Matome Manyama, 18. Frankie Dos Reis, 19. Simon Miller, 20. Daniel Maartens, 21. Rewan Kruger, 22. Ethan Wentzel, 23. Prince Nkabinde.