Cheetahs centre William Small-Smith has penned a new two-year deal with the franchise to extend his stay in Bloemfontein until 2021.

Small-Smith has made 61 appearances since joining the Cheetahs from the Bulls in 2016 and has cemented his place as one of the leaders in the team.

The extension comes as a boost to the Free State side, who suffered a mass exodus of experienced players – such as former captain Francois Venter and flank Uzair Cassiem – after their first season in the Pro14.

Commenting on his contract extension, Small-Smith said it was an easy decision to make.

‘I moved to the Cheetahs to grow as a person and as a player, and to get a lot of game time and it was exactly what happened,’ Small-Smith said.

‘I’m really excited about the future of Free State rugby.  I feel that the Cheetahs team is still in the early stages of the Pro14 championship – it’s only our second season.  I believe that we are a team who can compete to win the competition in the next year or two.

‘I really believe that we have a bright future – not only with the Currie Cup not overlapping, but also with Pro14 where we want to go from strength to strength.

‘It is a privilege for me to extend my contract. I just want to keep contributing and keep doing what I can do to make the team better. The goal is to beat any team at any time on any day.’

Photo: Johan Pretorius/Gallo Images