Super Rugby - Rugby’s restart: Cheetahs out in the cold

The four Super Rugby franchises – the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers – will be in action on Saturday, but not the three other teams that will contest the new local competitions from early October

The Cheetahs are upset at being overlooked once again!

And, they have found it tough to hide their disappointment after being excluded from the “Super Fan Saturday” at Loftus Versfeld this weekend – and it is not the first time it has happened.

After six months of no action because of the coronavirus, local rugby will return on Saturday with the Bulls taking on the Sharks and the Lions facing the Stormers in a double-header in Pretoria.

But the Cheetahs – who 12 months ago won the domestic Currie Cup competition – have been left out in the cold, and forced to make their own alternative plans to prepare for the Super Rugby Unlocked and Currie Cup competitions which start on 10 October.

“It is definitely bad to have been excluded from the Super Fan day,” said Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie. “And, it is also the second time that this has happened.”

Fourie said he and Robbi Kempson, the Director of Rugby at the now liquidated Southern Kings franchise, had been in talks in the past about forming part of this (double-header, fan-day) enterprise.

“Myself and Robbi have discussed this before, and we had discussions with SuperSport and SA Rugby,” said Fourie.

“At one point approval was given that we would play in these (fan-day) events, but then it was turned down,” he said.

But while it was a tough pill to swallow for the Cheetahs, to go with the possible exclusion from an expanded Pro14 competition next year, Fourie said he understood there were other factors at play.

“It is probably difficult to keep all the sponsors happy,” he said. “But it’s still very disappointing to us as a franchise as we were really keen to play in this day.”

“In these tough times it would have been great for the players to get some decent game time behind them, and it would have also been good for our sponsors to get some much-needed exposure.”

Fourie said the Cheetahs would now play against their neighbours, Griquas, in a friendly match in Kimberley.

“This will be our preparation for the competitions that will follow soon. It should be a real tough contest, like it always is in Kimberley, and that will at least be good for us for what lies ahead,” said Fourie.