Cheetahs

Union	South African Rugby Union
Emblem	Cheetah
Founded	1895
Location	Bloemfontein,Free State, South Africa
Region	Free State Northern Cape
Ground	Free State Stadium (Capacity: 46,000)
Coach	Frans Steyn
Captain	Victor Sekekete
League(s)	European Rugby Challenge Cup Currie Cup
2024–25 & 2025	ERCC DNQ 4th overall 2025 CC Semi-finalist 4th overall
Teamkit 2ndkit
Official website
www.fscheetahs.co.za
Current season

TheCheetahs (known for sponsorship reasons as theToyota Cheetahs), is a South African professionalrugby union team based at theFree State Stadium inBloemfontein. They competed inSuper Rugby between 2006 and 2017 and in 2020, then the Pro14 (nowUnited Rugby Championship) from 2017 to 2020. They currently compete in theEPCR Challenge Cup and the South African domesticCurrie Cup competition. Formerly known asOrange Free State they were originally established in 1895.

The franchise area encompasses the western half of theFree State province. Between 2006 and2015, theGriffons from the eastern half of the Free State province andGriquas from theNorthern Cape province were Cheetahs franchise partners, but this ended prior to the2016 Super Rugby season.^[1]

The Cheetahs was one of the two new franchises that entered the expanded Super 14 competition in 2006, the other being Australia'sWestern Force. The Central Union was awarded the fifth South African franchise over theSEC franchise in April 2005. In its first season the Cheetahs did surprisingly well, finishing tenth in the final standings, out of 14 sides. Prior to being accepted into the2006 Super 14 season, the Cheetahs were represented as a part of theCats. In addition, before theSouth African Rugby Union entered regionalised franchises into the competition, theFree State Cheetahs side competed in the1997 Super 12 season.^[2]

The primary strip for theToyota Cheetahs is an orange jersey with a white collar and white trim. Black shorts with orange socks and white trim. The colours are representative of the Free State Currie Cup side; orange and white (Free State Cheetahs). The alternative jersey is the same design, though it is a white jersey with an orange collar and orange trim. Black shorts with orange socks and white trim. designed by Lutkin Kemp

Prior to South Africa entering franchises into the then Super 12, the domestic Currie Cup sides competed instead. The Free State Cheetahs, one of the sides that make up the current Central Cheetahs, competed in one Super 12 season in 1997.^[2] The Free State played 11 matches, winning 5 and losing 6. They placed 7th on the end of season standings.

Proposals by the Central Union franchise and the SEC (Southern and Eastern Cape) franchise were studied for the allocation of a fifthSuper Rugby team licence. The Central Union emphasized points to the SARU such as that the region is second only to the Western Province in terms of producing players for thenational side. The Central Union noted that they have a strong and stable fanbase that would be able to meet financial and administrative responsibilities and demands of a Super 14 rugby side.^[3]

In mid April 2005, theSouth African Rugby Union announced that the Central Unions franchise would be its fifth team for the expanded Super 14 competition that would begin in 2006. They were awarded the franchise ahead of the Southern and Eastern Cape (seeSouthern Spears). In the pre-season of their entrance to the new look Super 14 competition, the Cheetahs played both of the other new franchises, new Australian team; theWestern Force and 2007 fellow South African team, the Southern Spears. The Cheetahs proved to be the strongest out of the new sides, demolishing the Spears 48 to nil and soundly defeating the Force inPerth. The Cheetahs played their first game on 10 February, proving they are fighting fit, but were not good enough on the day for the South AfricanBulls, losing their first official match inBloemfontein 18 points to 30. The Cheetahs won their first Super 14 game in week two, defeating theSharks in a thrilling match seeing the Cheetahs win by a single point, 27 to 26. Enteringround four of the 2006 season, the Cheetahs were facing the table leaders, theHurricanes. In a surprise result, the Cheetahs beat the table leaders, thus winning their first home game and proving they deserve to be in the Super 14.^{[citation needed]}

The Cheetahs finally broke their drought in overseas matches with an upset over theNew South Wales Waratahs on 19 March 2011.

FollowingSANZAAR's decision to reduce the number of teams for2018, theSouth African Rugby Union announced that the Cheetahs would be one of the teams cut from the 2018 competition. Instead, the Cheetahs joined the previously Northern Hemisphere-exclusivePro14 competition prior to the2017–18 season.

The Cheetahs were unable to compete in the2020–21 Pro14 due toCOVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions. Instead, the team played theSuper Rugby Unlocked in late 2020 and thePreparation Series in early 2021. However, the Cheetahs were not invited into thePro14 Rainbow Cup. The Pro14 was rebranded as theUnited Rugby Championship for the2021–22, and the team was not selected to enter it.

Since 2022, the Cheetahs play in theEPCR Challenge Cup as an invited team.

The Orange Free State Rugby Union was established in 1895, but did not make it to their firstCurrie Cup final appearance until 1973, when they lost to Northern Transvaal 30–22 atLoftus Versfeld. They first won the competition in 1976 and have won the competition a further seven occasions (2005, 2006, 2007, 2016, 2019 & 2023). In the 1990s the side became theFree State Cheetahs. The side has also competed in further domestic competitions including theVodacom Cup,Bankfin Nite Series,SuperSport Rugby Challenge,Toyota Challenge andSA Cup.

The Cheetahs' home stadium is theFree State Stadium, previously referred to as Vodacom Park for sponsorship purposes, located inBloemfontein. The stadium had its capacity increased to 48,000 for the2010 FIFA World Cup. The stadium is the home of Free State rugby as it is also home to theFree State Cheetahs, aCurrie Cup side which produces a large number of players for the Cheetahs franchise. A then-capacity crowd of 37,383 watched the Cheetahs in their first official Super 14 match against the Bulls on 10 February 2006.

The Cheetahs also previously played matches atGriquas Park inKimberley, the home of the Griqualand West Rugby Union, and atNorth West Stadium inWelkom, the home of the Griffons Rugby Union.

Competition	Season	Cheetahs seasons											Top try scorer		Top point scorer
		Pos	Finals	P	W	L	D	F	A	-/+	BP	Pts	Name	Tries	Name	Points
Super 14	2006	10th	–	13	5	8	0	272	367	–95	7	27	Giscard Pieters	5	Meyer Bosman	81
	2007	11th	–	13	4	8	1	265	342	–77	4	22	3 players	2	Willem de Waal	54
	2008	13th	–	13	1	12	0	255	428	–173	9	13	Jongi Nokwe	7	Conrad Barnard	47
	2009	14th	–	13	2	11	0	213	341	–128	3	11	Jongi Nokwe	6	Jacques-Louis Potgieter	59
	2010	11th	–	13	5	7	1	315	393	–78	4	26	Björn Basson	5	Naas Olivier	112
Super Rugby	2011	11th	–	16	5	11	0	435	437	–2	12	40	Sarel Pretorius	9	Sias Ebersohn	179
	2012	10th	–	16	5	11	0	391	458	–67	10	38	Willie le Roux	7	Johan Goosen	145
	2013	6th	Qualifying final	16	10	6	0	382	358	24	6	54	Willie le Roux	6	Burton Francis	62
	2014	14th	–	16	4	11	1	372	527	–155	6	24	Cornal Hendricks	6	Johan Goosen	143
	2015	13th	–	16	4	12	0	247	434	–187	6	22	Boom Prinsloo	8	Joe Pietersen	92
	2016	14th	–	15	4	11	0	377	425	–48	5	21	Sergeal Petersen	9	Fred Zeilinga	79
	2017	13th	—	15	4	11	0	395	551	–156	5	21	Raymond Rhule	6	Fred Zeilinga	108
Pro14	2017–18	3rd	Quarter-finals	21	12	9	0	609	554	55	15	63	Makazole Mapimpi	10	Fred Zeilinga	86
	2018–19	6th	—	21	8	12	1	541	606	–61	12	46	Rabz Maxwane	14	Tian Schoeman	134
	2019–20	4th	—	13	6	7	0	342	280	+62	7	32	Rhyno Smith	10	Ruan Pienaar	73
Super Rugby Unlocked	2020	4th	—	6	3	2	1	126	106	20	3	17	Rosko Specman	4	Tian Schoeman	36
Preparation Series	2021	2nd Pool A	—	4	3	1	0	159	105	54	2	14	2 players	3	François Steyn	31

• Bold indicates current team player

The following players have been named in the Cheetahs squad for the2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup:^[4]

The following players have been included so far in the Free State Cheetahs squad for the2025 Currie Cup Premier Division:^[5][6]

• Rassie Erasmus (2006–2007)
• Naka Drotské (2008–2015)
• Franco Smith (2016–2017)
• Rory Duncan (2017–2018)
• Franco Smith (2018–2019)
• Hawies Fourie (2019–2024)
• Izak van der Westhuizen (2024–2025)
• François Steyn (2025–present)

• Juan Smith (2006–2011)
• Adriaan Strauss (2012–2014)
• Francois Uys (2015)
• Francois Venter (2016–2018)
• Oupa Mohojé (2018)
• Tian Meyer (2018–2019)
• Ruan Pienaar (2020–2022)
• Victor Sekekete (2022–present)

The following players have representedSouth Africa while representing the Cheetahs:

The Cheetahs' Pro14 records are as follows (updated 11 February 2018):

The Cheetahs' Super Rugby records are as follows:

• Rugby union in South Africa

• Official website

• Cheetahs (rugby union)
• Super Rugby teams
• Rugby union teams in South Africa
• Bloemfontein
• Sport in the Northern Cape
• Sport in the Free State (province)
• 1895 establishments in South Africa
• United Rugby Championship teams
• Rugby clubs established in 1895
• 1895 establishments in the Orange Free State

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