Ospreys have signed three players on loan from South Africa as part of a new partnership deal with Toyota Cheetahs.
Wing Daniel Kasende, hooker Marnus van der Merwe and scrum-half Rewan Kruger have joined the Welsh region on short-term moves.
The agreement will also see Ospreys players head in the opposite direction to the Bloemfontein-based team.
Ospreys general manager Dan Griffiths said: “This is a game-changer for the player loan system.”
Congo-born Kasende, 28, has lit up the Currie Cup with his pace while front-rower van der Merwe made his United Rugby Championship (URC) debut against Ospreys in Swansea in 2018.
Scrum-half Kruger, 25, is a former South Africa Schools and Under-20s international who has emerged from behind captain and ex-Springbok Ruan Pienaar.
Ospreys have welcomed the agreement which will “help reinforce the squad throughout a challenging season”, following the departure of several leading players due to drastic budget cuts.
Griffiths added: “This partnership will provide our players with unmatched opportunities to grow and develop their skills, while experiencing rugby in a different part of the world.”
Cheetahs chief executive Ross van Reenen said: “The new player development partnership is an exciting new opportunity not only for both teams, but the sport as a whole.”
