Currie Cup or no Currie Cup, Euro sojourn crucial for Cheetahs, Pumas

Saturday's Currie Cup final between the Pumas and Cheetahs at the Free Stadium had more than just the oldest domestic tournament title in the world at stake, but the very relevance and existence of the competing teams.

The Cheetahs, for all their successful Currie Cup endeavours since 2005, haven't been given the necessary reward at the top table.

The Pumas, meanwhile, have always been heavyweights of the first division teams, but in the past two seasons when the Bulls, Sharks, Western Province, and Lions haven't given the Currie Cup the attention it deserves, Jimmy Stonehouse's charges won the tournament last season and reached Saturday's final.