Context : The identification of long-gamma-ray-bursts ( LGRBs ) is still uncertain , although the collapsar engine of fast-rotating massive stars is gaining a strong consensus .

Aims : We propose that low-metallicity Be and Oe stars , which are massive fast rotators , as potential LGRBs progenitors .

Methods : We checked this hypothesis by 1 ) testing the global specific angular momentum of Oe/Be stars in the ZAMS with the SMC metallicity , 2 ) comparing the ZAMS ( \Omega / \Omega _ { c } ,M / M _ { \odot } ) parameters of these stars with the area predicted theoretically for progenitors with metallicity Z = 0.002 , and 3 ) calculating the expected rate of LGRBs/year/galaxy and comparing them with the observed ones .
To this end , we determined the ZAMS linear and angular rotational velocities for SMC Be and Oe stars using the observed V \sin i parameters , corrected from the underestimation induced by the gravitational darkening effect .

Results : The angular velocities of SMC Oe/Be stars are on average \langle \Omega / \Omega _ { c } \rangle = 0.95 in the ZAMS .
These velocities are in the area theoretically predicted for the LGRBs progenitors .
We estimated the yearly rate per galaxy of LGRBs and the number of LGRBs produced in the local Universe up to z=0.2 .
We have considered that the mass range of LGRB progenitors corresponds to stars hotter than spectral types B0-B1 and used individual beaming angles from 5 to 15° .
We thus obtain R ^ { pred } _ { LGRB } \sim 10 ^ { -7 } to \sim 10 ^ { -6 } LGRBs/year/galaxy , which represents on average 2 to 14 LGRB predicted events in the local Universe during the past 11 years .
The predicted rates could widely surpass the observed ones [ ( 0.2-3 ) \times 10 ^ { -7 } LGRBs/year/galaxy ; 8 LGRBs observed in the local Universe during the last 11 years ] if the stellar counts were made from the spectral type B1-B2 , in accordance with the expected apparent spectral types of the appropriate massive fast rotators .

Conclusions : We conclude that the massive Be/Oe stars with SMC metallicity could be LGRBs progenitors .
Nevertheless , other SMC O/B stars without emission lines , which have high enough specific angular momentum , can enhance the predicted R _ { LGRB } rate .