Super Rugby fan Frans slams ‘stupid’ calendar

Springbok legend Frans Steyn has criticised the current scheduling and travel demands for South African teams in the Vodacom URC and EPCR competitions.

The Cheetahs director of rugby was speaking on the Behind the Ruck podcast with fellow former Boks Rudy Paige and Juan de Jongh.

Steyn has been vocal about SA participation in northern hemisphere competitions, insisting local teams should return to Super Rugby. The Cheetahs, who participated in the PRO14 from 2017 to 2021, were excluded from the URC while they have competed in the EPCR Challenge Cup since 2022.

The former Sharks and Cheetahs star acknowledged the URC’s growing significance but remains unconvinced about its timing and structure. “So the last couple of months, I realised that the URC is quite a big thing,” he said. “Especially, guys want derby games and all of that.

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“For me personally, I think we should go back to the old Super Rugby. I just think there was something else [with Super Rugby]. It was something different. I think the young guys of today definitely miss out.”

The two-time World Cup winner contrasted the traditional touring approach with today’s fragmented travel schedule. “If you think of when we went on tours and four and five-week tours, it was one tour, not every second week on a plane.

“[Constant travelling is] a stupid thing, this new calendar that we are in. If you have kids, you never have off,” Steyn added.

“You can’t go on holiday. When do you go on holiday? And then December. Normally, we went away in December. Now you have to play.

“I remember when I got to France the first time, I had to play on Sundays and Sundays. My dad was angry because you don’t play on a Sunday.

“Now we freaking play over Christmas and all of that.”

Photo: Danie Van Der Lith/Gallo Images