The Director of Rugby at the Toyota Cheetahs, Frans Steyn, has hinted that they are working hard behind the scenes to get the Bloemfontein-based franchise back in a major international competition.

The Cheetahs have been in the international wilderness since being booted out of the Guinness PRO14 in order to make way for the four bigger franchises in South Africa, in what is now the United Rugby Championship.

The Cheetahs were knocked out of the Currie Cup on Saturday with a 43-34 defeat to the in-form Lions at Ellis Park in a thrilling semi-final.

‘They play on invitation, on condition that their home games are aboard’

The Cheetahs will take a couple of days before starting to prepare for the Toyota Challenge. After that they will take their eight week break before taking to the field in the EPCR Challenge Cup. The Challenge Cup in the only international competition the Cheetahs have to play in and this is not always a given either. 

They play on invitation and on condition that their home games are played aboard. Their only Challenge Cup game played in Bloemfontein was in December 2023 when they beat the reigning champions, the Sharks 32-29, who were loaded with Springboks.

Following their defeat in Johannesburg on Saturday, the two-time World Cup winning Springbok, Steyn, hinted they are looking at playing international rugby in the Southern hemisphere. “I am pushing hard to go south,” said Steyn.

“Politics is a massive thing in rugby and I am starting to learn it as I go. It’s flipping tough - we are out for 2025 and I am actually lucky we are not going because I told people we will pay for our own flights and their flights. So, I am relieved we are not in. Otherwise, I would’ve had to find money and probably start robbing banks or something.

“But there is an ongoing chat – I just hope the politics in rugby must not block us. We will do our own thing and we will find people who want to support us. But we must just not be blocked.

Cheetahs vs. Western Force in the 2023 Toyota Challenge. Picture: Morgan Piek

“I think if we go south, it will be good for South Africa and it will be good for the Currie Cup. If two or three teams go south then we will have a North versus South Currie Cup competition. I am working on it, but there is a lot of politics and stuff going on, so we will have to wait and see.”

In 2017, when the Cheetahs were kicked out of the Super Rugby, they, as well as the Southern Kings, paved the way for South African teams to play in Europe by competing in the PRO14. In their first year, they made the playoffs, while a few years later they were on their way to the knockout  rounds before the Covid-19 pandemic derailed everything. 

To date in the Challenge Cup the Cheetahs have made it through to the playoffs in each year despite all of their logistical and financial challenges.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg