BLOEMFONTEIN – Free State Rugby on Tuesday announced that Charles Marais (prop) and Justin Basson (lock) have extended their contracts with the Toyota Cheetahs for another two years.
In 2014 Charles Marais made his Super Rugby debut for the Lions during the 2014 season against the Bulls. He joined the EP Kings in July 2014 prior to the Currie Cup Premier Division competition and playing in 7 matches for the team.
He signed a deal that would see him play for the Toyota Cheetahs in the 2016 season. Marais played all 10 games in the 2016 Currie Cup, including the semifinal against the Lions in Bloemfontein and in the final against the Blue Bulls. (2016 Currie Cup Champions).
Marais represented the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in 16 Currie Cup matches and 28 Super Rugby games. He made his Guinness PRO14 debut on the 1st of September 2017 against Ulster and earned 17 caps ever since.
Justin Basson will stay with the Cheetahs for two more years. Photo: Frikkie Kapp/BackpagePix
Basson moved to Bloemfontein from Pretoria to join the Free State Cheetahs and started the season playing for the UFS Shimlas Young Guns, scoring a try in the final of the 2014 Varsity Cup Young Guns competition to help them win the competition.
He started nine games for the Free State U21 in the Provincial Championship. He was included in a Free State XV that participated in the 2015 Vodacom Cup. He made his first-class debut in 2016 against Boland.
Basson has played in 12 Currie Cup matches so far, including the semifinal and final. (2016 Currie Cup Champions). He has represented the Cheetahs in 5 Super Rugby and 13 Guinness PRO14 matches to date.