South Africa Rugby’s ties with the northern hemisphere have deepened the confirmation that five domestic sides will play in Europe’s elite club competitions.
JOHANNESBURG – South Africa Rugby’s ties with the northern hemisphere have deepened the confirmation that five domestic sides will play in Europe’s elite club competitions.
From the 2022/23 season onwards, South Africa’s URC teams and the Cheetahs will play in next season’s two European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) knockout competitions, the Heineken Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup which include the best teams from England and France as well.
The country’s four biggest franchises integrated with teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales to form the United Rugby Championship (URC) in 2021 after withdrawing from SANZAAR’s Super Rugby tournament in 2020. The merger has proven a success with three South African teams qualifying for the playoffs and all matches completed despite early concerns about the extensive travel required during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under EPCR qualification regulations, the Stormers, Bulls and Sharks will compete in the Heineken Champions Cup by making the URC quarterfinals, with the Lions and Cheetahs taking part in the EPCR Challenge Cup.
“Our five franchise teams will now play in two new territories against opponents we’ve never played before … A big word of thanks also to the Toyota Cheetahs for their patience. I’m sure they can’t wait to face international opposition again, and we’re very grateful to have them included in the EPCR,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby.
The news will come as a welcome boost for the Cheetahs, especially. The Free State franchise spent several years languishing on the side-lines without an elite competition after they were cut from Super Rugby in 2017 and then not invited to play in the URC despite a number positive seasons in its predecessor, the Pro14.
Ross van Reenen, CEO of the Toyota Cheetahs said: “We are very grateful to SA Rugby and all the other stakeholders for getting us the opportunity to play in an international competition again. We know it took a lot of hard work and we are looking forward to playing in the EPCR Challenge Cup next season.
The news has been met with hesitation and doubts from supporters of various European clubs as it breaks with tradition, however the move is certain to cause excitement amongst local rugby fans.
“Ever since we’ve made the decision to align with the northern hemisphere, our aim was to play in the EPCR competitions. As we’ve seen during the inaugural season of the Vodacom URC, the rugby is of the highest standard and our top players definitely benefited from this move.”
The formats for next season’s Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup will be announced in due course, in conjunction with details of the Pool Draws for both tournaments which will be staged towards the end of June.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
