Kiwi scribe blames SA teams for Champions Cup’s decline despite being in the hunt for play-offs
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: New Zealand rugby writer Ben Smith has ignited debate after laying the blame for the Champions Cup’s perceived decline at the feet of South Africa’s franchises.
The South African teams joined the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) competitions in the 2022/23 season, marking a significant shift in the landscape of elite club rugby.
The Bulls, Sharks, Stormers, Lions and Cheetahs now compete across Europe’s two premier club tournaments. The Bulls, Sharks and Stormers feature in the Champions Cup, while the Lions and Cheetahs contest the Challenge Cup.
Although the Sharks lifted the lower-tier Challenge Cup in the 2023/24 season, South African sides have struggled to make an impact at the top level. No team from the Republic has progressed beyond the Champions Cup quarterfinals since their introduction to the competition.
Last season underlined those struggles, with all three South African representatives exiting at the pool stage. The Sharks, Bulls and Stormers each managed just one win from four matches before they exited.
The current campaign has followed a similar pattern – with the partial exception of the Stormers, who have won two matches before their 10-61 defeat by Harlequins at the weekend.
The Bulls have endured a torrid run, losing all three of their matches, including two at Loftus Versfeld, while the Sharks have collected all five of their log points in a single home fixture.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, RugbyPass writer Smith argued that South African teams should be removed from the Champions Cup altogether.
“The Champions Cup used to be considered the pinnacle of the club game. Now it has become a second tier after importing shadow teams from South Africa,” he wrote.
“Trojan Horse B teams.
“They need to expel them at the earliest possible convenience if they want to be a serious competition.”
Despite the criticism, the South African sides still have everything to play for. The Stormers control their own destiny, with a must-win clash against Leicester Tigers required to secure a play-off berth.
The Bulls face a daunting task away in France, needing to defeat Pau without conceding any bonus points, while also relying on Northampton Saints to overcome the Scarlets.
Meanwhile, the Sharks’ hopes rest on Sale Sharks doing them a favour by defeating Toulouse this weekend.
