South African side Cheetahs will play their European Challenge Cup home matches this season at St Helen's in Swansea, the home of Welsh side Ospreys. Cheetahs host Dragons on Sunday, 13 December and Perpignan on Sunday, 17 January with both games a day after Ospreys' home matches in the same competition. Cheetahs have traditionally used Europe as a base for matches in the second-tier tournament, with games in the 2025-26 season taking place in Amsterdam.
There are links between Ospreys and Cheetahs. Y11 Sports & Media owns a majority stake in the Ospreys and maintain an investment interest in the South African team with players moving between both sides. The Ospreys' first game at the redeveloped St Helen's is scheduled to be the United Rugby Championship (URC) Welsh derby against Dragons on Saturday, 24 October.
Ospreys managing director Richard Lancaster said the club is grateful to the WRU for permission to play these matches at St Helen's and excited to welcome the Toyota Cheetahs for the two EPCR Challenge Cup fixtures, noting the strong relationship between the clubs. Cheetahs director of rugby Frans Steyn said it is great to be welcomed warmly by the Ospreys, adding that St Helen's has a proud history and they are looking forward to playing there, experiencing the newly redeveloped stadium and making it their home in Europe.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing