EUROPE: South African franchises going nowhere
Reports that South Africa is reconsidering their future in Europe’s Champions Cup and Challenge Cup competitions have been nothing but an uninformed scuttlebutt.
Jacques Raynaud, CEO of the organising committee, European Professional Club Rugby, confirmed to @rugby365com that the South African franchises – the Stormers, Bulls, Sharks, and Lions – are fully committed to the organisation until at least 2030.
The revelation comes amid the announcement of ‘significant’ tournament rule changes that will take effect in the new season.
In a change from previous seasons, in which the four highest-ranked teams in each pool automatically qualified for the Round of 16, from the forthcoming (2026/27) season, only the top three teams from each Pool will automatically qualify.
The remaining four Round of 16 places will go to the four teams with the highest number of match points across all pools, regardless of which Pool they are in. The four places in the Challenge Cup Round of 16 will be awarded to the next four teams with the highest number of match points, regardless of which pool they are in.
In a change to how ranking will be determined, if two teams are tied on match points, the team with the greatest number of wins will be awarded a higher ranking, before the best points difference is taken into consideration.
In a second change, awarding bonus points for attacking performance, a team has to score three or more tries than their opposition. Unchanged from previous seasons, the defensive bonus point will remain available if a defeated team can limit the margin of defeat to seven points or fewer.
Raynaud made it clear that the South African teams very much remain part of their planning and dismissed the uninformed rumours.
(WATCH as Jan de Koning sits down for a one-on-one with EPCR CEO Jacques Raynaud to discuss the future of SA teams in Europe……)
“[South African Rugby Union President] Mark Alexander has denied having said anything,” Raynaud told Jan de Koning, when asked about the widespread rumours.
“We have a format locked into 2030, which includes the South African teams,” the EPCR boss added.
“All the South African teams, including the Cheetahs [invited to the Challenge Cup again] have been included in the pool draw.
“The South Africans belong in the tournament.”
The pool draws will take place in Dublin on Wednesday, July 1.
As members of the United Rugby Championship, South African teams qualify for the Champions Cup by finishing in the top eight, or the Challenge Cup if they miss the URC play-off cut.
“While some nations have [Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland] been ‘founders’ of the EPCR, while others have joined later, such as Italy and South Africa,” Raynaud said.
“We run the tournament to make it the greatest club competition in the world.
“We have seen South African teams consistently get into the last eight, and we saw the Sharks win a [Challenge Cup] title.
“Some people are planning to be the first South African team to have a star [Champions Cup winners] on the jersey.
“South African teams qualify through the URC, and we have them in our format till 2030.”
@JanDKrugby
@rugby365com
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