Cape Town - The Cheetahs and the Springboks Sevens team are involved in a tug-of-war over the services of speedster Cornal Hendricks.

The Volksblad website reports that the central franchise started their 2013 Super Rugby preparations on Monday with a group of 50 players, excluding Hendricks.

The squad underwent fitness tests in Bloemfontein on Monday but Hendricks is still stranded in Stellenbosch as part of Paul Treu's sevens squad.

The winger, who is reportedly eager to play Super Rugby, has been included in the Blitzbokke's squad but according to the Cheetahs he signed a valid contract with them. His future is still uncertain as the dispute lingers on.

Meanwhile, Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské will be able to call on 11 newcomers for his Super Rugby side next year. They are: Loosehead prop Caylib Oosthuizen (Lions), hooker Torsten van Jaarveld (Pumas), tighthead prop Rossouw de Klerk (Bulls), lock Lodewyk de Jager (Leopards), loose forward Tertius Daniller (WP), flyhalf Elgar Watts (Boland), centres Joubert Engelbrecht (Leopards) and Johann Sadie (Bulls), as well as Hendricks (Blitzbokke and Boland).

Centre JP Nel (NTT Communications in Japan) and flyhalf Hansie Graaff (Tshwane University of Technology) joined Griquas and the Griffons respectively in 2012 and are yet to play Super Rugby for the Cheetahs.

Drotské said all 50 players were tested by fitness coach Niel du Plessis and the group willl have its first field session on Tuesday.

Cheetahs' wider training group:

Forwards: Steph Roberts, Caylib Oosthuizen, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Lourens Adriaanse, Rossouw de Klerk, Ryno Barnes, Adriaan Strauss, Hercu Liebenberg, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Ligtoring Landman, Francois Uys, Andries Ferreira, Edwin Hewitt, Martin Muller, Waltie Vermeulen, Lodewyk de Jager, Marnus Schoeman, Lappies Labuschagné, Heinrich Brüssow, Boom Prinsloo, Justin Downey, Davon Raubenheimer, Philip van der Walt, Leon Karemaker, Tertius Daniller.

Backs: Marnus Hugo, Sarel Pretorius, Pieter van Zyl, Tewis de Bruyn, Johan Goosen, Francois Brummer, Hansie Graaff, Elgar Watts, Barry Geel, Robert Ebersohn, Joubert Engelbrecht, Jean Stemmet, Johann Sadie, JP Nel, Rocco Jansen, Raymond Rhule, Cornal Hendricks, Jannie Boshoff, Dusty Noble, Rayno Benjamin, Nico Scheepers, Willie le Roux, Hennie Daniller, Riaan Smit.