Minimal recovery time. The Toyota Cheetahs, Clermont's opponents in the round of 16 of the Challenge Cup on Saturday April 6 (1:30 p.m.), will also play a match the day before, against the Airlink Pumas in the South African Cup, a provincial competition. Spotted by Rugbyrama, this grotesque situation forced the South African franchise to sacrifice one of the two competitions.
More than 12,000 kilometers separate the Toyota Stadium, based in Bloemfontein in South Africa and where the first of its two matches will take place, and the Marcel-Michelin stadium in Clermont. The Cheetahs played in Super Rugby until 2017 before joining the Pro14, ancestor of the United Rugby Championship, which they left in 2020. They have obtained the right to compete in the Challenge Cup since 2022.