Champions Cup focus may open door for SA surge in URC

South African rugby stakeholders may have mixed feelings about the European Champions Cup semifinals, which will be staged in Dublin and Bordeaux this weekend.

The Bulls and Stormers failed to progress beyond the first round of the playoffs, and the Sharks were eliminated from the elite club tournament after the pool phase. The present line-up confirms the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers trail the world’s leading clubs by some distance.

It’s been four years since they joined the European Professional Club Rugby structures, and all three clubs are yet to qualify for a semifinal. The harsh reality is that although the Springboks are the leading team in Test rugby, the club game is dominated by top French, English and Irish sides.

Yet despite none of the local franchises being in action this weekend, the coming matches will still boast a strong South African flavour. Jacques Nienaber, who won the United Rugby Championship (URC) with Irish giants Leinster last season, will be desperate to prove a point when his team faces Toulon on Saturday, 2 May.

It’s been eight long years since Leinster won the Champions Cup, and many will remember how they lost to Northampton Saints in the semifinal in Dublin last season. Leinster go into the next battle against Toulon without Springbok lock RG Snyman, who will also miss South Africa’s upcoming Tests because of a serious knee injury, but they will still fancy their chances against an erratic Toulon outfit.

Meanwhile, Bath will play against Bordeaux on Sunday, 3 May, as underdogs. Bordeaux won the Champions Cup for the first time in 2025 and have dominated opponents via their relentless attacking approach this season. Bath are the leading team in England, having won the 2025 Premiership and Challenge Cup titles, but it remains to be seen whether they can storm the Bordeaux fortress and deny French rugby a sixth consecutive Champions Cup crown (Toulouse, La Rochelle and Bordeaux have all won the competition).

And yet, they will have at least two reasons to believe that an upset in the cauldron of Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Métropole is possible. Johann van Graan, the former Bok and Bulls assistant coach, has transformed the English club into an allcourt team since making the move from Munster in 2022.

Although some critics in England still have their doubts about South Africa’s bomb squad strategy, Van Graan has borrowed a page or two from Rassie Erasmus’ playbook and deployed some of his best players in the second half of big matches.

Bok tighthead prop Thomas du Toit has been among Bath’s leading performers over the past few seasons, even though he has played a lot of his rugby from the bench. South African rugby fans – and Erasmus himself – will be watching these matches closely. The scrum battle in Bordeaux will be fiercely contested, and another South African tighthead in Carlü Sadie – who was invited to a Springbok alignment camp earlier this year – will be out to make an impression on the big stage.

European priorities

The Champions Cup is the biggest prize in club rugby, and the leading teams tend to judge themselves by how they fare in the European tournament rather than in lesser club competitions. Although Leinster won the URC title last season, they were criticised by local media and fans for falling short in the tournament that mattered most.

Much has been made about the resources at Leinster’s disposal, and how teams such as Toulouse and Bordeaux have bolstered their player stocks with the aim of performing in both tournaments. But given the challenges of a congested club schedule, it’s becoming harder to compete on both fronts and coaches are having to pick their battles.

Leinster will send their best available combination into combat this Saturday, and if the team qualifies for the Champions Cup final, they may look to manage their leading players in the build-up to the decider on 23 May. And Leinster will play two URC fixtures – against the Lions next week and Ospreys thereafter – before a potential Champions Cup final.

How SA teams can benefit

This situation may well present an opportunity for their next set of URC opponents. The Lions have won their last six home matches, but they have struggled in recent games staged overseas – losing four and drawing two.

With that record in mind, few would bet on the Lions to beat a full-strength Leinster side in Dublin. But if Leinster are forced to divide their resources and focus on the Champions Cup, the Lions may have a chance of an upset.

Cash van Rooyen’s charges have played an entertaining yet effective brand of rugby in recent months and are on the verge of qualifying for the URC playoffs for the first time. The Lions will host a quarterfinal if they claim sufficient log points from the tour matches against Leinster and Munster.

The latter fixture may be their toughest, given that Munster were knocked out of the Champions Cup earlier this season and are currently scrapping for a place in the URC playoffs.

The Bulls are well placed after a successful tour of Wales and should strengthen their position when they host Zebre Parma and Benetton in the coming weeks. The Stormers could finish at the top of the standings – and earn the right to host a quarterfinal as well as a potential semifinal and decider – if they win the coming tour matches against Ulster and Cardiff.

Again, the European playoffs may have a bearing on the final rounds of the URC. Ulster will host Exeter Chiefs in the first Challenge Cup semifinals this Saturday, whereas Montpellier will tackle the Dragons on Sunday. If Ulster wins the clash in Belfast, they will be one match away from a rare title success. The Challenge Cup final will be staged on 22 May.

The prospect of silverware may influence their selections in the preceding URC league matches against the Stormers and Glasgow Warriors – and again, their opponents may sense an opportunity. The Stormers may capitalise on the situation at Ulster and go on to beat Cardiff. Their drive to finish at the top of the log may well be boosted by a Lions victory in Leinster.

South Africa’s Champions Cup campaign may be over, but three teams remain in the hunt for home playoffs in the URC and the dream of silverware is still very much alive. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.