Gutsy Cheetahs facing another year of going nowhere slowly: 'Lack of exposure always a challenge'

As much as there's continued admiration for how the plucky Cheetahs punch above their weight, following consecutive appearances in the EPCR Challenge Cup playoffs, this season's aftermath has been accompanied by cold comfort about the future.

Last year, there was the novelty and intrigue of whether they'd be invited again, a question that's now been answered.

Now, there's a new, more disconcerting query: is the central franchise really just on a road to nowhere in terms of their international exposure?