There is even more good news for the team as a return to Australia and New Zealand is very much on the cards and the negotiations are in an advanced stage.

The teams the Cheetahs will face both in Australasia and at home are one that competed in the SuperRugby, but these are not 100% finalised yet.

While the one Australian team is pretty much confirmed, it is believed that several of the New Zealand teams are eager to accommodate the Cheetahs both home and away.

The CEO of the Cheetahs, Ross van Reenen, informed the players on Wednesday morning that they must be prepared to play abroad in 2023 after the conclusion of the Currie Cup. The matches against the New Zealand and Australian teams will be taking place in the window after the Currie Cup, which is set to conclude in August.

In addition, the much-talked-about Intercontinental Shield has been given the green light. The Intercontinental Shield will see the Cheetahs face approximately eight different teams and the timeline for this tournament will be while the 2023 Rugby World Cup is on in France.

Van Reenen told OFM Sport that this is a massive opportunity for the team.

“For us to compete in Europe in the EPCR Challenge is a massive privilege,” said Van Reenen.

“I also want to thank Jurie Roux because he was really very instrumental in making this happen.

“We've been out of it for so many years and we haven't travelled overseas recently.

“We had the Emerging Irish team and the USA team here in the Toyota Challenge, but this is a massive opportunity for the players and they are very excited. I spoke to a couple of players now and they are just ready to go.”

The Cheetahs will tackle Section Paloise in Pau at 15:00 next week Saturday in their historic first game of the European Challenge Cup.

Morgan Piek/OFM Sport