OPINION: Steyn must keep pushing for Cheetahs to play international rugby

The rugby landscape is now very different to what it was like in the days of Super Rugby, but for that very reason there must surely be room somewhere in the world for the likes of the Cheetahs and Pumas, and possibly even Griquas, to play some international rugby on a regular basis.

The Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers are sorted; they’re now involved in the United Rugby Championship and performing very nicely, and their future certainly looks to be secured.

But following the split from Super Rugby, and probably even before that, the Cheetahs – one of this country’s biggest feeder unions and always a side full of thrills and excitement – have been left out in the cold. Yes, they play in the second tier Europe-based Challenge Cup nowadays, but only on invitation.

The reality is, the Cheetahs need a permanent home, where they can play regularly in a league format, like the old Super Rugby and now URC.

Smaller teams’ futures

While these so-called smaller teams might not have all the talent and depth that they’d like to be properly competitive, as we have seen at times during this season’s Currie Cup, the reason why they’ve fallen so far behind the so-called bigger teams, who also have URC franchises, is exactly because they can’t offer promising young players much more than Currie Cup rugby.

If those teams played in a proper league-type of competition, like Super Rugby or the URC, you can be sure more players would want to stay connected to those so-called smaller teams and even join them, possibly from some of the big unions, where they might not be getting the kind of game time they’d like.

This is why it was so good to hear Cheetahs boss Frans Steyn saying at the weekend he will continue to push for his union’s involvement in a league format competition, maybe even Super Rugby. The Cheetahs and the other unions mentioned here must simply keep knocking on the door.

Hopefully SA Rugby are doing their bit behind the scenes to help unions like the Cheetahs, because this country needs these so-called smaller teams to be as strong as they can be, for the overall benefit and strength of all South African rugby.

The now very second-tier Currie Cup, despite this last weekend’s thrilling semi-final action, can’t be all these teams have to strive for?