Free State Rugby released a statement that they would like to clarify recent comments made by Frans Steyn that may have been misunderstood and restate our perspective.
As a team, the Toyota Cheetahs are deeply grateful for the opportunity to compete in the EPCR Challenge Cup. The comments in question were solely intended to highlight the challenges of competing away from home and were in no way a critique of the competition itself.
As one of the top five teams in the country, the Toyota Cheetahs have a strong ambition to participate in more international games.
“I want to emphasize that I greatly respect European rugby and the EPCR. I have had the privilege of playing in Europe for seven years and hold the competition and its participants in the highest regard. The level of rugby in Europe is exceptional, and I admire the quality of rugby played at this level.” Said Frans Steyn, Director of Rugby.
“We are grateful to be part of a quality competition like the EPCR Challenge Cup. It is an honour to play against some of the best clubs in Europe, and we are committed to doing our best in the competition.”
The Toyota Cheetahs want to reaffirm our commitment to making this EPCR Challenge Cup season competitive and successful. The Toyota Cheetahs are proud to be part of this prestigious competition and look forward to embracing the games ahead.