Veteran scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar has signed a two-year contract with the Cheetahs.
Pienaar returns to South Africa after successful stints at Ulster (2010-17) and Montpellier (2017-19). He played 88 Tests for the Springboks between 2006 and 2015 and scored 135 points.
The 35-year-old, who is originally from Bloemfontein where he attended Grey College, will play for the Cheetahs in the Pro14. However, Pienaar has not been included in the Free State Cheetahs’ Currie Cup squad.
Meanwhile, Clayton Blommetjies who has also just returned from a spell in Europe with the Scarlets, has been included in the Currie Cup squad that will be captained by scrumhalf Tian Meyer.
Cheetahs squad – Aranos Coetzee, Luan de Bruin, Erich de Jager, Gunther Janse van Vuuren, Charles Marais, Ox Nche, Schalk van der Merwe, Boan Venter, Jacques du Toit, Joseph Dweba, Marnus van der Merwe, Reinach Venter, Justin Basson, JP du Preez, Sintu Manjezi, Sibabalo Qoma, Walt Steenkamp, Daniel Maartens, Oupa Mohoje, Abongile Nonkontwana, Gerhard Olivier, Jasper Wiese, Aidon Davids, Junior Pokomela, Henco Venter, Dian Badenhorst, Ruben de Haas, Tian Meyer (c), Louis Fouche, Tian Schoeman, Carel-Jan Coetzee, Rabz Maxwane, Darren Adonis, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Ali Mgijima, William Small-Smith, Dries Swanepoel, Clayton Blommetjies, Adriaan Carelse, Malcolm Jaer, Tapiwa Mafura.
Photo: Alexandre Dimou/Getty Images
