The Free State Cheetahs have once again stunned the South African rugby public! I remember how in 2005, after winning the Currie Cup for the first time in 29 years, rugby supporters from other teams joked that it will take another 29 years for the Cheetahs to win the Currie Cup…! Guess what? Nobody joked since…they were also winners in 2006 [share with Blue Bulls] and 2007!!
After a very poor start to the 2009 season, most rugby supporters were giving the Cheetahs no chance of even reaching the semi-finals of the Currie Cup. Most rugby supporters, aware that many Springbok stars of other provincial teams will return, thought this would end the Currie Cup aspirations of the Cheetahs. What these critics and doomsayers were forgetting was one important fact…the value of guts, determination and the massive heart of a united team! A fortnight from now the Cheetahs will take on the Blue Bulls in Pretoria in the 2009 Currie Cup Final!!
Today, whatever the outcome of the Currie Cup final, we can reflect on a Free State rugby team which is nothing but extraordinary! What makes this provincial rugby set-up even more fascinating is that despite all the challenges, financial and player constraints, not only has the senior side qualified for the finals, but also the u/21 and the 0/19 sides!!
If we look at the Cheetahs and their performances closely, we find a few facts making the Currie Cup performance even more exceptional. Not only did we read in the newspaper about personal challenges for coach Naka Drotske, but also about injuries and the usual outflow of young stars to other provinces. We always find statements from other coaches about the devastating loss of a captain, but the Free State team has been led by numerous captains during the past season – only to lose captains Juan Smith, Adriaan Strauss, Hendro Scholtz at different stages due to injury. Few teams have endured more injuries to key players, only to overcome these challenges and reach the final!
What is the secret to the success of the Free State Cheetahs? This is perhaps the biggest mystery in South African rugby… We know that it is not a large financial budget, major sponsorships or a stadium filled to capacity with supporters. It is also not 22 “big name players” –none of these do the Free State Cheetahs have! Many coaches and rugby “experts” have been asked about this secret, yet few have been able to lay a finger on the answer…It is this special ingredient that makes the Cheetahs the 2nd most loved rugby team for most supporters of other teams…and I would like to identify this secret ingredient!
After losing to the Free State Cheetahs 23-21 in the semi-final on Saturday, Sharks Coach Johan Plumtree remarked “They wanted it more…” But why would the Cheetahs “want it more” than the all star team from the Sharks? We need to confess that the Cheetahs played poorly at the start of the season, with most of the same players. Perhaps the secret ingredient is to be found here…Coach Naka Drotske remarked after the semi final that “we’ve got some special players”. By saying so, he alluded to the fact that the Free State players came together after the poor start, realized their destiny is in their own hands and that they cannot wait on big name special players to take them to the final! They had the ability to turn this around for themselves and their supporters!
To find the special ingredient we could refer to the attitude of one player and a blog post written earlier this year titled “Brussow an example of commitment and dedication!!” The ingredients of humility, commitment and dedication are not commodities we can buy. This is worth more than self –belief and experience – something that gets elevated to a winning culture when nurtured in a true team environment where players do not play from themselves but for those around them as well!
Large budgets can buy rugby mercenaries – but it cannot buy a team! I would like to congratulate the Free State Rugby Union on having 3 Rugby Teams in the Finals. For the rugby fanatic it is a privilege to see that the traditional rugby values of pride, passion and dedication are alive and well!!
[Written by Johan Jonck, developer of the Arrive Alive website – A Western Province Rugby supporter from childhood with a soft spot for the Free State Cheetahs!!]
[ View more photos taken by Gerhard Steenkamp at Superimage Media]
We would like to invite all our rugby supporters to view the safety guide before they travel to the game for the Currie Cup Final:
• Spectator Survival Guide for Safety of the Road to the Sports Stadium