The time for talk is over, and it is time for South African franchises to take the Champions Cup tournament, which starts on Saturday, seriously. Although they may be in the best position in terms of team squads after joining the elite European club championship, Stormers, Bulls, and Lions must demonstrate that they will treat every game like a playoff match to remain in the tournament.
Many questions have arisen regarding the participation of South African teams in Europe, and this is entirely justified. The main opponents come from France and England, which is understandable since no South African team has advanced past the quarter-finals since joining.
Although the Sharks won the Challenge Cup, the second division of European professional club rugby competitions, the local team still has to wait for qualification for the final four and, consequently, the final match.
After good preparation for the opening weekend, Stormers, Bulls, and Lions will begin their campaigns on Saturday. Stormers will face Bristol Bears at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town, while the Pretoria team will play against Stade Français at Loftus Versfeld. Lions will face a serious challenge playing against former two-time champions La Rochelle in France. For Lions, this will be a real test in the debut season of the tournament.
Nevertheless, there should be no excuses for the two home teams to field full squads and fail to win. These opening matches will likely show how their future campaigns can develop.
After announcing their squad this week, Stormers rugby director John Dobson stated the goal of running a strong campaign in the Champions Cup and called on other South African teams to do the same. His senior players, captain Ruan Nel and Damian Willemse, supported these ambitions.
Dobson noted: 'We need a South African team that reaches the semi-finals or the final this season.' He added: 'For our part, we want to respect that, and the way to do that is to perform well in it. It is a prestigious tournament. We want to test ourselves against the best teams in the world. We want to be at the top of the world rugby table, so we desperately want to be part of it.'
Damian Willemse aims to earn a star next to the Stormers emblem. A winning team in the Champions Cup gets the right to add a star to its jersey as a symbol of conquering European club rugby. Thus, this is another goal the Cape Town team will strive for.
Willemse stated: 'For us as a club, it will mean a great deal—to add a star to our emblem.' He continued: 'We really want to add a star to our emblem, but obviously, it is too early. We have a very tough match against Bristol.'
Stormers last played in the quarter-finals in 2023, losing to Exeter Chiefs, and last season they were very close to making the Top 8 against Toulon. They lost 28-27 after a last-second goal was disallowed.
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann also wants his team to perform better than just one group stage win last season. They were the last team to play in the quarter-finals, reaching that stage in 2024 before suffering a heavy defeat against Northampton Saints. This crushing 59-22 loss at Franklin's Gardens showed the gap in class between the two teams.
Ackermann commented: 'Last year we didn't win home games against Bordeaux and Bristol, and we only had one away win. If we could win one more, we could play a home match in the Round of 16. If you can win three matches (in the group), that's even better, but win the home games, and you give yourself a chance.'
The words of the South African coaches and players are well-founded, but it is time to turn them into action, rather than giving European fans and experts reason to question their participation in the Champions Cup again.
Undoubtedly, it will be a fine balance between the URC and the Champions Cup, as well as the rest of the Springboks after the Nations Cup Tests in November. However, the depth of the South African franchises' squads should put the teams in a better position to chase the elusive spot in the semi-finals and finals, as well as the European crown.
The opening weekend will not determine the fate of the South African teams' campaigns, but it will set the tone for what is to come. Stormers and Bulls must use the advantage of home ground, while Lions must show they can compete with the best European teams on foreign soil. If the local teams are serious about reaching the final stage of the competition, they must start showing results right now. Ambitions have been declared; now results must follow.