Springbok Sevens player Lionel Mapoe has lost his bid to be released from his contract at the Free State Cheetahs.

Sport24 and SuperSport 

Mapoe must now arrive in Bloemfontein by Thursday and present himself at the regular Cheetahs practice session, where he is likely to meet with the team management to plot the way forward after a contractual dispute that has lasted for months now.

Mapoe cited problems with his salary as the reason he wanted to leave, and requested, through his agent, Jan-Harm van Wyk a release certificate from the Cheetahs so that he could take up a more lucrative offer from the Sharks.

Mapoe even went as far as to start training with the Sharks for the past few months pending the outcome of the dispute, which was finally handed down on Wednesday.

Advocate Bertus van Rhyn ruled that the Cheetahs have a valid contract with the winger, and that he will have to return to Bloemfontein to play as stated in his contract.

Free State president Harold Verster said he was overjoyed by the result.

“It is great that the arbitration process proved what we knew all along, that we have a valid contract with Lionel,” Verster said.

“He now needs to get back to Bloemfontein today or tomorrow and rejoin the team. He needs to get his head right and play.”

Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske also was happy with the result.

“It hopefully sends out a strong message to players that they need to honour their contracts, but we are very happy that we were right all along and that we had a valid contract with him,” Drotske added.

The Sharks weren’t available for comment.

75 Responses to Mapoe remains a Cheetah!

  • 61

    not at all

    again you try telling me in ur own way the sharks are a bunch of skelms ,again i will tell you BS

    re mapoe i agree they have made a stuff up and should explain

    Mapoe in injured anyhow and will then move to the sharks , what the arbitration does is stop him from playing for the sharks in the currie cup

    well as he is injured he will be playing for both

    i have no doubt the sharks wont request payback money for the wages he recieved from them or the medical bills

    he will be going to the sharks its just a bit later than expected

    but again i feel the sharks should explain this stupidity

  • 62

    Just give Mapoe to them man…he’s not that good…we can do without him in Cheetah-land 🙂

  • 63

    sharky, don’t want to interrupt your conversation, but I think it was a case of they managed to sort out the dispute with some of the Lions players and thought they’ll give it a go with Mapoe.

    I don’t really think anyone is to blame here, it is simply a case of we’ll try and if it succeeds, great.

  • 64

    @ bos_otter:
    …ons moet liewer try om ons twee Du Plessies boeties terug in die staat te kry. Bismark en Jannie se bloed is mos oranje

  • 65

    Ag no man…I hope Puma comes back…I like the bloke 🙁
    Puma, take Mapoe, but just come back mate 🙂 Nobody else here wants to talk to me

  • 66

    @ bos_otter:

    haai, os, voel jy bietjie eensaam vandag.

    Hier is vir jou n’ grappie.

    Teacher starts at a new school and as she enters the classroom, she says ” good morning class”

    No response except for one boy ” morning mam”

    This goes on for the whole week, and by the friday afternoon as the kids leave to go home, she call the boy over.

    “young man, thank you for being so well mannered, but why are you the only one greeting me in the morning”

    He responds

    “mam, I are the only one named Klaas”

  • 67

    Firstly Superbul, now Puma getting upset, what is going on here boys and girls. I agree that Mapoe should sit his contract out with the Cheetahs, even though it is crap he signed the contract and it is legally binding, fact. The minute that it expires then he will be welcomed with open arms to the Sharks 🙂

    We should not use the debacle with Jaque Fourie, Willem Alberts and Louis Ludi as a precedent..

  • 68

    Winston wrote:

    Firstly Superbul, now Puma getting upset, what is going on here boys and girls. I agree that Mapoe should sit his contract out with the Cheetahs, even though it is crap he signed the contract and it is legally binding, fact. The minute that it expires then he will be welcomed with open arms to the Sharks
    We should not use the debacle with Jaque Fourie, Willem Alberts and Louis Ludi as a precedent..

    Ludik I mean

  • 69

    kla k@k gebeit glo dat die tjarks nou hulle les geleer het ek pers is bly dat daar nou n streep getrek is

  • 70

    In closing it is the same priciple as accepting a job at a company and 2 weeks later you get an offer for quite a bit more and leave the current job in bad faith… But it is fine, we wil land up buying the Cheetahs team eventually, it is the usual story. I wish that we could produce our own players, at least Lambie is local and our shining light..

  • 71

    @ biltongbek: Thank Biltong…voel sommer stukke beter 🙂

  • 72

    @ sharky_forever:

    So in short….

    – The Sharks are not skelms, they were just wrong in this unfortunate event ? 😆

  • 73

    @ Blouste:

    They followed all the rights procedures…
    Went through the right channels…

    Were honourable in their dealings etc.

    Only thing against them is the fact that they were dealt the wrong end of the stick at the hearing.

    Must be bad luck then 🙂

  • 74

    One would think there should be uninamity amongst South African supporters that player contracts should be adhered to, respected and all player transfer rules followed down to a “T”.

    It is in the interest of rugby in SA that this does happen and that contracts are respected, otherwise we might just as well have jungle justice in SA Rugby….. wait, I cannot say that… we already do have jungle justice in SA Rugby….

    Hehehehe

    Seriously though fellas and fellettes, the Unions need to know where they stand and when they threaten to overstep their bounds there should be clear guidelines to prevent them from acting rogue!

  • 75

    oooo no the Last Outpost of the British Empire lost this battle. Sorry boys.

    Puma my friend you are hardened enough to take this little knock, eish friend come fight on. We have a few battles left in our bones.

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