VIDEO: Stormers' take on SA Rugby and Champions Cup debate

Whether a rumour or not, South African franchises’ exit from the European Champions Cup would leave the state of the country’s rugby “much poorer”, Stormers director of rugby John Dobson has warned.

Earlier this month, the South African Rugby Union announced it was reviewing the tournaments its teams are involved in due to worries about player welfare.

In the wake of the announcement, speculation has mounted that the governing body could consider withdrawing from the European club competitions.

Although SA Rugby president Mark Alexander has dismissed the claims as mere speculation, the rumour mill has continued to gather momentum, with several reports suggesting the European competition is under the greatest pressure for a potential withdrawal.

However, Dobson believes leaving the elite club competition would be a major setback – not only for the Stormers, but for South African rugby as a whole.

*READ: SARU’s tough call dump SANZAAR for Europe

“We love being part of the Champions Cup,” Dobson told reporters ahead of his team’s URC quarterfinal match against Cardiff.

“We absolutely love it.”

Since joining the competition in the 2022/23 season, no South African franchise has advanced beyond the quarterfinal stage.

The Stormers came agonisingly close this season, suffering a dramatic 28-27 defeat to Toulon in France.

“I think we were probably an amoeba’s fingernail away from being in the quarterfinal this year, which has shown some progress. I mean, the Toulon game showed you what a good team they were.

“We love the tournament.

“South Africa’s participation started a year after the URC, so maybe there’s a year’s lag in gears.

“But fixtures like Leicester, La Rochelle, Harlequins, Toulouse or Toulon at home are massive inventory for the Stormers.

“So, to have that taken away would be a hell of a disappointment.”

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Dobson acknowledged the challenges surrounding travel and player welfare, but believes the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

“We struggle from a welfare point of view. I am aware that we do send a weakened team once a year on the one-off trip, but that’s something we have worked on, and our squad looks better and the youngsters come through. We have a different contracting model and when those guys come through, we’ll be better in that fixture.

“It’s great for South African rugby. I think our season would look a lot poorer without it.”

The Stormers boss also believes the competition plays a key role in preparing Springboks for Test rugby and future World Cups.

“I think South African teams playing in the URC and Champions Cup is great for the Springboks and World Cup preparation because it’s such tough rugby,” he said.

“Playing Toulon away is hard set-piece rugby and tough physical rugby. It’s different to Super Rugby.

“I think for South African rugby, and certainly from a Stormers point of view, we absolutely love being part of it.”

Dobson added that it was unfortunate to see rumours around a possible withdrawal gaining traction.

Stormers prop Neethling Fouché echoed those sentiments, saying South African fans are still adjusting to the scale and prestige of the Champions Cup.

“For us as players, we understand that the fans have to understand the magnitude of the Champions Cup, and the prestige that comes with it.

“If you watched the game at the weekend, Bordeaux versus Leinster in Bilbao was huge when you look at the fans that were there and the hype around that game.

“Those are the big games that you want to play in.”

Fouché believes local supporters will develop a greater appreciation for the tournament over time.

“I think it might take a little bit of time, but as we progress, the fans of South Africa will start to recognise the Champions Cup and recognise its level more and more.

“I think it’s more of a situation of not understanding the two competitions we are playing in.

“Comparing it with soccer, you’ve got the Premier League and then you’ve got the UEFA Champions League, and that’s basically what we’re playing. It’s the top of the top.

“We want to stay involved as long as we can. It’s massive for us as the Stormers and may it long last.”