Cheetahs announce 4 new signings

Bloemfontein - The Cheetahs on Tuesday confirmed the signing of four new players for the upcoming PRO14 season.

The Bloemfontein franchise announced on their official website that utility back Rhyno Smith, loose forward Chris Massyn, centre Chris Smit and the hooker Wilmar Arnoldi have all put pen to paper.

The above-mentioned quartet are currently playing for their respective provinces in the Currie Cup and will link up with the Cheetahs at the conclusion of the competition.

This follows the recent news that the Cheetahs had signed Springbok scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar.

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BIOS ON NEW SIGNINGS

- Rhyno Smith, the Sharks outside back, will be heading back to Bloemfontein after previously playing for the team in the PRO14 during the 2018/19 season. Smith, who was a star player for Pukke in the Varsity Cup and for the Leopards in the Currie Cup First Division, played for the Cheetahs on a loan deal. He has signed a three-year contract with the Cheetahs.

- Chris Massyn joins the Cheetahs on a two-year contract from Western Province. Massyn, who normally plays flank, led Maties to the 2019 Varsity Cup title. He has the rare distinction of captaining two Varsity Cup teams to the title after previously also leading Tuks. In 2017, Tuks won the Varsity Cup under his leadership. He has also played for both the Blue Bulls and the Boland Cavaliers. The 25-year-old Massyn is known for being destructive with the ball in hand and difficult to deal with at the breakdown.

- Chris Smit, who joined the Griquas earlier in the year after winning the 2019 Varsity Cup with Maties, will be joining the Cheetahs on a two-year contract. The centre, who can also play at flyhalf, is cool-headed on the field and has a good distribution game which has caught the attention of many coaches in South Africa. The player who will be turning 24-years-old in August was named as the 2019 Varsity Cup Player of the Tournament.

- Wilmar Arnoldi will be joining the Cheetahs on a two-year deal from Griquas. Arnoldi was a star-performer for Pukke for three years before joining the men from Kimberley in 2017. During that time he also represented the Leopards in the Currie Cup First Division. In 2017, Arnoldi was named in the Varsity Cup Dream Team.