Paris - There was good news all around for South African on Thursday when it was not only confirmed that SA’s URC teams will contest next year’s Champions’ Cup but also that the Cheetahs, at last, have a home in a major competition, the European Challenge Cup.
Both of these Cup knock-out competitions fall under the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) organisation.
This means that the South African teams will now cross swords with the best clubs from England and France, after already successfully integrating with teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the inaugural URC, which is now at the quarter-final stage.
Under EPCR qualification, the four Shield winners and the next four highest-ranked clubs on the final league table of the URC will take part in the Champions Cup, with the remaining in the EPCR Challenge Cup.
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As a result, the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls, all of whom finished in the top eight of the URC, will play in the Champions Cup, while the Lions and the Cheetahs will contest the EPCR Challenge Cup.
Both these competitions’ finals for this season took place at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille last weekend, with three of the four sides in action from France and the results leading to two historical firsts.
In the EPCR Challenge Cup final on Friday, Lyon secured their first-ever European title and first silverware for 89 years, while La Rochelle beat Leinster in a nail-biting match to win their first Champions Cup. Both matches showcased the best of European rugby, with the result of the Heineken Champions Cup going right to the last minute.
Next year’s EPCR showpiece finals will take place on 19 and 20 May 2023 at Dublin’s famed Aviva Stadium.
“Our five franchise teams will now play in two new territories against opponents we’ve never played before,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby.
“We’ve already experienced the intensity of the URC, and now we’ll also face the top teams from England and France. We would like to thank all relevant stakeholders who have been involved in the negotiation process – the board and staff of EPRC, the Vodacom URC, Premiership Rugby in England and the Ligue Nationale de Rugby [LNR] in France.
“It has happened earlier than planned, as we started this process more than two years ago after Super Rugby imploded, but this has now become reality, which really is great news for South African rugby.
“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 URC, the rugby is of the highest standard and our top players definitely benefited from this move.
“We now have an opportunity to also start rubbing shoulders with the top clubs from England and France in two other competitions which have caught the imagination of rugby supporters around the globe for more than two decades.
“A big word of thanks also to the 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.
“The first season of the URC has really been an eye-opener for our teams, but it also presented a wonderful opportunity to our players to participate in a superb competition.
“I firmly believe we are on the right track by playing in these competitions in the northern hemisphere, and we certainly can’t wait to get involved in the EPCR competitions as it will only further enhance the local game.”
IOL Sport