The Free State Cheetahs (Pty) Ltd announced that Schalk Ferreira (prop), Reinhardt Fortuin (flyhalf), Cohen Jasper (fullback) and Andell Loubser (utility back) have committed to extending their contract with the Toyota Cheetahs.
Schalk Ferreira
The prop, Schalk Ferreira, made his Toyota Cheetah debut on 27 February 2021 against the Stormers in the Cape Town Stadium. Since then, he has earned 32 caps for the Free State side.
He brought a lot of experience to the Toyota Cheetahs. At the age of 39 years, he is the oldest player in the Toyota Cheetah camp to ever play for the Toyota Cheetahs.
Schalk played in 58 matches for Western Province after making his debut in 2005 in a Vodacom Cup match. In 2007, Ferreira made his Super Rugby debut in Round Three of the competition, replacing Brok Harris in the second half of their match against the Chiefs in a 21–16 win in Cape Town. He appeared in 16 games in the competition.
Reinhardt Fortuin
Reinhardt Fortuin made his Toyota Cheetah debut on 14 November 2020 as a replacement for the Springbok Frans Steyn in Round 6 of Super Rugby Unlocked against the Stormers in Cape Town. He has played 46 games to date for the Toyota Cheetahs.
Reinhardt Fortuin caps summary since he joined the Toyota Cheetahs: SR Unlocked 2020: 2 caps, Currie Cup 2020: 6 caps, Franchise Cup 2021: 4 caps, Currie Cup 2021: 8 caps, Currie Cup 2022: 10 caps, Toyota Challenge Cup 2022: 4 caps, EPCR 2022/23: 4 caps, Currie Cup 2023: 8 caps.
Cohen Jasper
Cohen Jasper has committed to another two seasons with the Toyota Cheetahs.
Cohen Jasper joined the Toyota Cheetahs after the 2021 Varsity Cup. He played his first Currie Cup match for the Free Staters on 26 June 2021, replacing Tian Meyer on the left wing.
Jasper is an exciting outside back from the Central University of Technology Ixias (CUT), who predominantly plays at fullback, but is equally dangerous on the wing.
Jasper is known for his ability to create scoring opportunities from nothing. He is known to swing a match, as he did during the Ixias' first-ever win over the Maties and was crowned as Varsity Cup Player that Rocks in 2021.
The Toyota Cheetahs fullback has played 28 games since he joined the Toyota Cheetahs.
Andell Loubser
The utility back, Andell Loubser, has committed to another two seasons with the Toyota Cheetahs.
Andell remained in Pretoria after high school, signing a junior contract with the Blue Bulls and turning out in the U19 and U21 Currie Cup. Loubser enjoyed a senior professional debut in the 2018 SuperSport Rugby Challenge. He alternated between fullback and wing and became a recognized goal kicker. He joined the Southern Kings in 2019, scoring a try on his Pro14 debut against the Cardiff Blues and impressing as the last line on defence, still just 23 years old.
Loubser's considerable size makes him difficult to stop from close quarters, whilst his calmness under the high ball is second to none. His rapid footwork, ability to outpace an opponent, and knowledge of when to offload in contact have led many a pundit to compare Loubser to a classic outside back in the Pacific Islands mould, with the pedigree of South Africa's finest rugby structures.
To date, Loubser has played 5 games with the Toyota Cheetahs.