Toyota Cheetahs face Black Lion in final Toyota Challenge match in Tbilisi

The Toyota Cheetahs will conclude their Toyota Challenge campaign in Tbilisi when they face Black Lion on Sunday, 4 October, with kick-off at 18:00 South African time. SuperSport will broadcast the match live.

The Toyota Cheetahs arrive at their final match of the away series with one win and one narrow defeat from their opening two encounters. They defeated Lusitanos 38-26 in their first match before going down 22-19 to Iberians in a closely contested encounter.

Sunday's match against Black Lion will be the fourth meeting between the two sides in the Toyota Challenge. The Toyota Cheetahs currently hold a 2-1 head-to-head advantage.

Their first encounter, in October 2025, produced a dramatic finish at Toyota Stadium, with Black Lion claiming a 39-38 victory after the Toyota Cheetahs missed a conversion at the end. The Toyota  Cheetahs responded nine days later with a convincing 24-5 victory to level the series.

The teams met again in June this year, when the Toyota Cheetahs produced a strong second-half performance to beat Black Lion 47-32 at Toyota Stadium. The visitors led 17-7 at half-time before the Toyota Cheetahs turned the match around after the break.

The final match of the tour gives the Toyota Cheetahs another opportunity to gain valuable playing minutes, while testing themselves against Black Lion on Georgian soil. The tour has also given young players in the squad and those returning from injury important competitive exposure.

Frans Steyn, Toyota Cheetahs head coach: "The focus is primarily on match fitness and allowing players to get valuable game time, particularly those returning from injury. It is important that we get them back to their competitive best."

"These matches are vital for us to assess where we are as a squad and to measure our squad depth. Every player will have an opportunity to put their hands up, while we continue preparing for the important EPCR Challenge Cup matches that lie ahead."

Head Coach Frans Steyn has announced his team for the match:

Toyota Cheetahs

1. Dux Manyama
2. Louis van der Westhuizen (C )
3. Ben Pitout
4. Carl Wegner
5. Aidon Davis
6. Siya Ningiza
7. Arno van der Merwe
8. Sisonke Vumazonke
9. Erich Visser
10. Tiaan Swanepoel
11. Ntokozo Makhaza
12. Shaun Ray
13. Marco Jansen van Vuren
14. Litha Nkula
15. Ethan Wentzel

1. Juandre Schoeman
2. Tebogo Nkosi
3. John-Kelly Okonkwo
4. Juan Venter
5. Mihlali Mosi
6. Jandrè Nel
7. Duncan Basson
8. Daniel Maartens   

Next up: The Toyota Cheetahs will play in the EPCR Challenge Cup and open their campaign on Sunday, 18 October, against Aviron Bayonnais at Stade Jean Dauger in Bayonne.