Speedster Lionel Mapoe will only know whether he will be able to join the Sharks and be released from his contract at the end of July.

Brenden Nel at SuperSport

While Mapoe is nearing the end of his rehabilitation period from injury and should be able to take the field again in the next few weeks, he will now have to wait for the arbitration process to take its course before he will know where he can play in future.

Mapoe’s case came to the forefront after he signed a contract with the Sharks and then requested a release from the Cheetahs. The Cheetahs however, claim he has a valid contract with them and refuse to give him a clearance certificate.

Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske confirmed that there would be no quick fix to Mapoe’s problems.

“We still believe we have a valid contract with him and therefore we are now waiting for the matter to go to arbitration,” Drotske told SuperSport.com.

“According to the last discussion we had with our legal advisors the earliest this can happen is by the end of July but we are still waiting for a date for this matter to be settled.”

Mapoe is nearing the end of a six week rehabilitation programme for a shoulder injury and if all was well, would probably be able to play again next week.

Meanwhile Drotske is still awaiting word from two other players that the Sharks are hoping to snatch away from them.

Midfielders Meyer Bosman and Robert Ebersohn have both been given big money offers by the Sharks to join them in Durban but have, according to Drotske, not made a final decision yet about their futures.

Bosman has played for the Springboks in three Tests and in two tour matches, and is considered the main playmaker at the Cheetahs while Ebersohn, a former Springbok Sevens star, is seen as a future Bok.

“I spoke to Robert’s agent yesterday and we will hear hopefully tomorrow what his answer is. He wants to stay in the Free State, and we have made him an offer, so we are waiting on his reply. The same goes for Meyer, we have made him an offer and are now waiting for his reply.”

Ironically the Sharks have already won the rights to two players’ services this season through contractual disputes. A similar situation arose when they concluded contracts with winger Louis Ludick and No8 Willem Alberts at the start of the season. The Sharks won the arbitration battle and now have the services of both players currently in their Currie Cup squad.