The Cheetahs will be heading into the 2019/20 Guinness Pro14 campaign under the guidance of a new head coach after the franchise confirmed that Franco Smith will be departing to take over the reins of the Italian national team.

The Cheetahs themselves are the first to admit that by winning just eight of their 21 games in the 2018/19 season, they fell well short of their own expectations, and that of their fans at home and in Europe. After their outstanding debut season in which they reached the play-offs, there were hopes that they would go one step further and reach the semi-finals, however, that was not to be.

A new look side entered the competition in September last year, and the one major positive from the season is that they will have a much more experienced outfit for their next campaign.

The goal for the Cheetahs will be to end as close to the top as possible, but, they do have their sights set on playing in either the European Champions Cup or in the European Challenge Cup as well.

The Managing Director of the Cheetahs, Harold Verster, indicated that once they become a shareholder in the Pro14, this dream could become a reality, however, they will have to prove that they belong there.

“The Pro14 competition has an incredibly high profile in Europe.

“Over the past weekend Leinster played against Saracens, which the latter won, but it just shows the great support that it receives, and we would like to be able to play in competitions like the European Champions Cup as well.

“The mission will be to rise to the top of the Pro14, but we are slowly but surely finding our feet in the competition.

“Bear in mind that there is also the European Rugby Challenge Cup, which is almost like a B Section, and even if you play there it is a high level of rugby.

“This time of the year is a bit quieter, we are only competing in the SuperSport Rugby Challenge at the moment, but if we make it into the top of the Pro14 we can play in Champions Cup or even in the B section of that league. I see it as the future.

“We cannot compete there yet, the principle is that we will be able to qualify. It is sort of the integrity of the competition which they are all talking about.

“Once we have secured our position as a shareholder in the Pro14 fold as from next year and we are able to perform it is sort of an integrity question. If you are there then you can make it.

“This will be at the end of the 2020 competition as it will be a new deal going into 2021.”

The Cheetahs will start advertising the head coach position as from 15 May 2019, until 29 May 2019. The new coach will be appointed before the end of the June, and he will form part of the Toyota Free State Cheetahs technical team for the Currie Cup campaign.

The Cheetahs will reassemble on 1 June to begin their preseason for the Currie Cup, leading into the Pro14.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport