Toyota SA, in conjunction with the Toyota Cheetahs, is excited to announce the first installment of the Toyota Challenge, a brand-new rugby product.

Five teams – two from abroad – are going to participate in the 4-match Toyota Challenge in which R1-million will be up for grabs. The matches are scheduled from 13 to 26 November in the Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein (see fixtures below).

The Toyota Cheetahs have challenged two local powerhouses in the DHL Stormers and the Cell C Sharks to compete for a quarter of a million-rand worth of prize money in the Toyota Stadium. On top of these two challenge matches, the Toyota Cheetah have also challenged two European rugby clubs in the form of Spain’s Diables Barcelona and Romania’s CSM Stiinta Baia Mare. These teams have never before been seen in South Africa and will bring some Catalonian flair and Romanian power to the series of matches.

Each of the matches will boast prize money of R250 000 for the winning team, but on top of that, more cash is up for grabs for individual players and fans during the Toyota Challenge.

Players will be rewarded for “positive play actions” during the games, while fans will be rewarded for supporting their favorite teams in the stadium and online on various social media platforms: a bonanza of running rugby, bone-crunching tackles, cash and other prizes and tries galore.

“Toyota SA have a long history with rugby in South Africa and we believe that the Toyota Challenge promises to bring another dimension to the way rugby is being played and mostly enjoyed by the fans in South Africa,” says Leon Theron - Senior Vice President: Sales & Marketing: TOYOTA South Africa Motors.

“Apart from dishing up running rugby against the old foes in the Stormers and the Sharks, the Toyota Cheetahs are excited to have two brand-new rugby friends - Diables Barcelona and CSM Stiinta Baia Mare - in the Toyota Stadium. We are particularly delighted that the Toyota Cheetahs will have the opportunity to show their metal. This new rugby product promises to be very enticing and entertaining for the fans. Talking about fans, we are delighted that our supporters will be allowed in the stadium again, albeit limited to 2 000 at this stage. I would also like to thank Howard Thomas Rugby MD of Redstrike and his team for their assistance in pulling this together, with whom we are working on a number of exciting initiatives,” says Harold Verster, Managing Director: Toyota Cheetahs.

Jurie Roux – Chief Executive Officer – SA Rugby, adds: “This is very exciting for all the teams involved and I'm sure we'll see some open running rugby in Bloemfontein next month. It's also great to see new sides in action, from Spain and Romania, two nations where the game is really growing, and their involvement will add something extra to the Toyota Challenge.”

The Toyota Challenge fixtures will be broadcast by SuperSport giving the South African Rugby public access to rugby like you have never seen before. Make sure you don’t miss any of the action.

Toyota Challenge fixtures: 

• Sat 13 Nov 2021: Toyota Cheetahs vs. DHL Stormers – 17h30 – SS 210
• Wed 17 Nov 2021: Toyota Cheetahs vs. Barcelona (Spain) – 17h30 – SS 211
• Sat 20 Nov 2021: Toyota Cheetahs vs. Cell C Sharks – 14h00 – SS 211
• Fri 26 Nov 2021: Toyota Cheetahs vs. Baia Mare Rugby (Romania) – 17h30-SS 211

While in South Africa, Diables Barcelona will also face off against the Kenyan National team and CSM Stiinta Baia Mare will face a Free State XV team as part of the Toyota Intercontinental Invitational Series of friendly matches.

Toyota Intercontinental Invitational Series fixtures: 

• Sat 20 Nov 2021 – CSM Stiinta Baia Mare vs. Free State XV team – kick off time to be confirmed
• Thursday 25 Nov 2021 – Diables Barcelona vs. Kenya – 17h30