Frans Steyn has delivered a stark warning to his struggling Cheetahs squad as the Bloemfontein side faces the possibility of not qualifying for the Currie Cup.
The Free Staters are locked in a desperate fight to reach South Africa’s premier domestic competition, placed fifth on the SA Cup standings with only the top four teams advancing to the Currie Cup.
“It’s actually quite simple: if we don’t win these next two matches, none of us will probably still have jobs,” Steyn said. “That’s the reality of it. We put ourselves in this position.
“If you don’t qualify for the Currie Cup, you receive less money from SA Rugby.”
A 43-36 defeat for the Cheetahs to the Valke at the weekend exposed the real danger of the former champions missing out altogether.
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The situation has become even more uncomfortable given the recent signing of double World Cup-winning scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, who is set to join the Cheetahs from Japan on a two-year deal.
Instead of returning to compete at the highest domestic level, De Klerk could now find himself playing in the lower tier of South African rugby.
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Steyn also questioned whether SA Rugby fully understands the importance of the Currie Cup and qualification battle for smaller unions.
“I don’t think SA Rugby realises how massive this competition is,” he said.
“For all of us, this competition means more than what the United Rugby Championship means to the bigger unions. Their doors stay open, things keep rolling.
“For us, this is a huge competition and we let ourselves down this past weekend.”
The Cheetahs face Border in East London this weekend before a potentially season-defining clash against Griquas in Bloem next week.
Photo: Danie Van Der Lith/Gallo Images
