Frans Steyn, head coach and director of rugby for the Toyota Cheetahs, issued a direct warning that if the team fails to qualify for the Currie Cup Premier Division, both his job and those of his staff and players are at significant risk.
The Cheetahs are in a precarious position in the SA Cup; they are 5th on the SA Rugby log after a shock 43–36 defeat to the Valke, the qualifying tournament for the Currie Cup Premier Division. Only the top four non-URC teams will advance.
The Cheetahs face Border in East London this weekend before a potentially season-defining clash against Griquas in Bloem next week.
“It’s not what any of us planned. Obviously, the Valke’s plan worked. Maybe we missed something, or whatever. We’ll go back and look at what we did wrong and see what we need to do right.”
Failing to qualify will result in significantly less funding from SA Rugby, which threatens the financial stability of the Free State union. Missing South Africa's premier domestic competition would be a "humiliating failure" for a franchise that was recently linked with a potential return to the United Rugby Championship.
“If you don’t qualify for the Currie Cup, you receive less money from SA Rugby. 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. We let ourselves down this past weekend against the Valke.”
“We have made it very difficult for ourselves at the moment, but I firmly believe that with the players we have, we can still get a good outcome from this SA Cup tournament.”
Despite the pressure, Steyn remains committed to "fixing things" and believes his squad can still salvage the campaign in the final two rounds of the SA Cup.
“I think before the weekend, there was a good upward curve. We just have to keep building, keep believing in the plan and keep believing in each other. Hopefully, we will come out on top.