Another reason why South African teams struggle in Champions Cup
SPOTLIGHT: There has been loads of criticism lingering over South Africa’s involvement in the European Champions Cup and with good reason.
At the weekend in Round Three, the Stormers were the only team to record a victory. The Cape Town franchise handed Sale Sharks a 40-0 thumping.
Meanwhile, the Sharks suffered an 8-20 defeat to six times Champions Cup winners Toulouse at Kings Park and the Bulls were humiliated by Casters with a 10-49 loss at Stade Pierre Fabre.
The weekend’s mixed bag of results is far from the wanted outcome for the collective and will certainly not silence any doubters, especially from the north.
Since joining the European elite club competition in 2022/23 the teams failed to assert themselves unlike in the United Rugby Championship.
In the URC, the Stormers and Bulls played the Ginal in the first season (2021/22), with the former winning it. The Sharks reached the quarterfinals that year.
In 2022/23 the Stormers hosted Munster in the Final, while the Sharks and Bulls played quarterfinals. Last season, the Bulls reached the Final.
Unfortunately in the last three seasons, no South African team has progressed past the quarterfinals in the Champions Cup.
Adapting to a packed rugby calendar, the lengthy travel constraints and player welfare concerns are all contributing factors to the troubling state of the South African teams.
In the last decade, French teams have dominated the Champions Cup, winning it five times. La Rochelle were crowned back-to-back champs in 2021/22 and 2022/23 while Toulouse is the current title holder and also hoisted the trophy in 2020/21.
Saracens have secured the trophy thrice and Exeter Chiefs and Leinster have one title each.
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Former Wasps and current Bulls loose forward Nizaam Carr alluded that the lack of history in the tournament might also be the reason for South Africa’s timid interest.
“I played in England and know how big this competition is,” Carr said.
“I don’t think South African players or supporters know how big this competition is.
“I think if we understand that, like the French or English fans, I think we will take the challenge much better.
“It is like the UEFA Champions League in football and if we wrap our heads around that, not that we are not trying to do our best or give our all, but the French teams just know how rich this competition is and know what is at stake every time they take to the field.”
After Sharks’ defeat to Toulouse, Sharks head coach John Plumtree admitted it will take years for South African teams to pose a major threat in the Champions Cup.
“We are three seasons into this competition and the other [European] teams have been playing in it for years.
“It’s all new for us, but in five years we won’t be talking about it. We will have developed players and every South African side will have a good squad, but it’s going to take time.”
“We have to keep in mind, a lot of South African players go overseas and are spread around but it would be great if those players come back or don’t go.”
This weekend all three South African sides play against French sides – the Bulls host Stade Francais at Loftus Versfled on Saturday, the Stormers head to Paris to play Racing 92 and on Sunday the Sharks are in Bordeaux to face the Bordeaux Begles.
For the Bulls, it is a case of securing a European Challenge Cup, while the Stormers need to beat Racing 92 to advance to the Round of 16 and the Sharks need to pick up a single point for a spot.
