The Director of Rugby at the Toyota Cheetahs, Frans Steyn, has once again outlined the team’s ambitions to make a sensational return to Super Rugby.

This first started when the Melbourne Rebels were withdrawn from the competition after going bankrupt.

Following the Currie Cup semi-final defeat to the Lions, Steyn hinted that he hopes the Free State will enter a major international competition by 2026.

Yesterday the long-serving Springbok of all-time, Steyn, said they are still working on a return to Super Rugby, but many things need to happen to make it work.

“If that happens, that will only happen in 2026,” said Steyn.

“There is nothing really that I can say. We are still in chats, but we need people to come together who want to make it work at this stage. We also need SA Rugby’s buy-in, so there are still a lot of conversations to be had.”

Steyn added that for now the EPCR Challenge Cup remains their home when it comes to a major international competition, and it will be interesting to see how the rugby landscape changes with the long-awaited return of traditional rugby tours.

“Regarding the future, it’s still the same as when I played, we need a better competition. That’s the end of the story.

“The EPCR Challenge Cup is still for two years, but we need something more concrete than that. The whole rugby system is going to change in 2026 with the incoming rugby tours when teams like New Zealand will come in for full tours.

Frans Steyn. Photo: Morgan Piek

“It will be interesting to see how they will structure rugby with that.”

Meanwhile, on Wednesday night the Cheetahs will get a taste of Super Rugby and international rugby when they host the Western Force in Bloemfontein in their first game of the Toyota Challenge.

The match between the Cheetahs and Force at the Toyota Stadium kicks off at 19:00. At 16:00 on Wednesday afternoon, Emerging Ireland will face the Pumas.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg