NATIONAL NEWS - Tiaan Liebenberg will train with the Cheetahs Super Rugby team over the next few weeks to see if he is able to make a comeback to the playing field.

The 34-year-old ex-Stormers hooker, who played in five Test matches for the Springboks, retired from the sport due to a long-standing back injury in 2014.

But after getting a second opinion from a different specialist – he had another operation last October and joined the Cheetahs squad on Thursday for practice.

He didn’t take part in the session, according to the Bloemfontein Courant newspaper, but will join the players in weeks to come to see if he is still able to play at the highest level.

Liebenberg, who was born in Kimberley, made his name with Griquas at the start of his career, playing for the Northern Cape side from 2003 to 2006, before he joined the Cheetahs for a year.

But he moved to Cape Town and the Stormers for eight years, which is where he became a Springbok. He also enjoyed a season in France for Toulon in 2009 but return to Western Province soon afterwards.

Liebenberg will face stiff competition for the Cheetahs hooker berth from Namibian international Torsten van Jaarsveld, ex-Stormers No 2 Neil Rautenbach and youngsters in former SA Under-20 rake Joseph Dweba and Elandré Huggett.

Liebenberg is in business with his father in Bloemfontein, and would not be needed at his old team the Stormers, who have Scarra Ntubeni, Bongi Mbonambi and Mikey Willemse in the hooker department.

Similarly, the Lions, Sharks and Bulls are well-stocked in the No 2 jersey, while the Southern Kings are in disarray and battling to attract sponsorship and top players.

Liebenberg is training with the Varsity Cup side called the Ixias (Central University of Technology), where he is helping with the coaching as well. “At this stage, all my focus is on getting the six hookers that are here (in the Cheetahs squad) as well equipped as possible for the Super Rugby,” he said.

“I’m here out of my own will, I asked if I could come help and come learn and this is where we are at now. The (hookers in the Cheetahs squad) are very good, I think there is a lot of talent. I like what I’m seeing from a technical point of view, the guys are well equipped.

“I think Corniel (van Zyl, Cheetahs forwards coach) knows what he’s doing, Daan (Human, scrum coach) knows what he is doing and with Franco (Smith, head coach), it’s a great coaching staff. These are guys that played. In the past, it was always easier for me to listen to a guy that has been there and knows what it’s all about.”

Van Jaarsveld, who is set to be the Cheetahs’ first-choice hooker, is looking forward to working with and learning from the streetwise Liebenberg. “I think he has a lot of experience and he is getting up to go a foot higher than usual. We will definitely use his experience in the upcoming season,” he said.

“I think he will be a massive investment for the Cheetahs and he will fit well into our system.”