Could the Free State Cheetahs become a fifth South African franchise to play in the United Rugby Championship, taking advantage of the chaos in Welsh rugby?

Welsh Rugby is set to axe one of its club sides for financial reasons, reportedly likely to be the Ospreys, which will open up a slot in the URC competition.

There had been talk of a team from the United States joining and even a club from England, but both of these seem unlikely to materialise for various reasons.

Could it be then that the Cheetahs fill the gap? They already play in the European Challenge Cup as an invited side, and with the other URC countries unlikely to want to add to their pool of teams, it could become a reality.

“We don’t want to let an opportunity slip away,” Cheetahs CEO Rory Duncan told News24. “We are well aware of the situation in Wales and everything that’s going on. It would be a privilege to be in the URC competition.

“We are always looking for opportunities, trying to explore what is available to us. That is an ongoing process, and hopefully we will be able to get into a competition at some point in the not-too-distant future.”