None of their heroes possess the gravitas or perhaps the sense of timing Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood displayed atop the Bavarian Alps in Where Eagles Dare.
Yet by daring to dream and emboldened by renewed self-belief, the players of the South Western District Eagles this season have defied all expectations.
Thanks to consistent performances, they are on the cusp of securing a Currie Cup First Division playoff spot when it was expected - by outsiders anyway - that they would fall away spectacularly.
That the Eagles have been able to soar, while all else at their union has been bogged down in an all-too-familiar toxic cocktail of alleged racism, greed, factionalism, self-interest and petty politics, is almost beyond belief.
"If this was about rugby it would have been resolved a long time ago. Unfortunately it's about occupying certain positions and lining back pockets," said Eagles captain and former Bok fullback Bevin Fortuin of the malaise at the union.
Their professional arm, Eagles (Pty) Ltd, has been provisionally liquidated. The ruling might be made permanent by a court next month.
The SWD Rugby Union has taken over the day-to-day running of the Eagles, but they have no income after the South African Rugby Union (Saru) cut off their remaining supply line.
Saru - who argue they have pumped around R8-million into the union in the past few years - are withholding broadcast rights money due to the union and have also refused SWD additional bridging finance.
"They must provide us with a recovery plan which outlines how they intend to, among others, cut costs," insisted Saru deputy president Mark Alexander. "You can't spend money you don't have. That is reckless trading. We can't keep throwing money at the problem.
"We are prepared to help but then we need to jointly manage the union until they are able to do so by themselves. They have rejected this."
SWD chief executive Willie Small, rather bizarrely given the dire state of affairs, says the union isn't entirely up to speed with what Saru requires.
"We don't quite know what they mean by a recovery plan. We are hopeful that the liquidation order is granted next month so we can tie things up and conclude an agreement with a potential investor.
"We can then create a new entity. I'm sure the liquidation order will be granted because the company is around R18-million in the red with no hope of anyone coming to our rescue," said Small.
Even then they have to fight the clock. "Last month we borrowed money to pay the players. I don't know what we are going to do at the end of this month," Small admitted.
It is hoped the prevailing buoyant spirit in the squad, which now features just 18 contracted players, will pull it through in the few remaining matches of the Currie Cup.
"We are all quite positive," says Fortuin. "W e need two or three more points to get to the playoffs.
"We have amazing team spirit and would have struggled if we weren't connected spiritually."
So stark has been the difference between their fortunes on the field and those of the union in the board and courtroom, that Fortuin had to re-calibrate his own ambitions.
"I thought I would retire here and now I'm thinking perhaps I can give Super rugby another go - and who knows, maybe a place in the Springbok World Cup squad next year," he joked.
