Moana Pasifika are set to be axed from Super Rugby. Should the Cheetahs be offered their place?
The Cheetahs played in Super Rugby until 2017 before being cut when the tournament was reduced from 18 to 15 teams.
They then joined the Pro14 in 2017-18, but suffered a similar fate when the competition became the URC in 2021.
While the Cheetahs currently feature in the EPCR Challenge Cup as an invitational side, they are eager to join a cross-border competition like the URC or Super Rugby.
Coach Frans Steyn has made it clear he favours the latter.
“I’m so outspoken about Super Rugby because of the way they play. I’m a fan of their style,” Steyn said last year.
“If the Crusaders came to play the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, I promise you the stadium would be full. People in South Africa still love the New Zealand teams.”
Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
