Club World Cup big carrot for SA teams

The URC could take a backseat as South African teams chase a potentially lucrative Club World Cup spot, writes SIMON BORCHARDT.

SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer was spot-on when he said the introduction of a Club World Cup will force South African franchises to take the Champions Cup seriously.

The Club World Cup, set to occur every four years starting in 2028, will feature 16 teams: eight from the Champions Cup, seven from Super Rugby Pacific and one from Japan Rugby League One. Had it taken place this season, South African teams would have been absent, having failed to reach the Champions Cup quarter-finals. This was largely because the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers prioritised the URC, a more realistic competition for them to win, while their squad depth was tested by injuries.

Since becoming eligible for Europe’s top tournament in 2022-23, SA sides have often selected ‘B teams’ for away matches in the Champions Cup group stage while fielding their best players for home fixtures. The strategy has been to win both home games, which typically secures a spot in the 16-team playoffs.

However, the Bulls took this approach further last season when coach Jake White controversially left 14 first-choice players in Pretoria for their Champions Cup quarter-final against Northampton in England, prioritising rest for a home URC match against Munster a week later. The Bulls lost 59-22 to Saints, prompting accusations that White disrespected the competition. He denied this, arguing he couldn’t risk key players needed for the backend of the URC.

This season, the Bulls lost both away group matches – 27-5 to Saracens and 49-10 to Castres – after fielding weakened teams. Having also lost their first home match, 30-21 to Northampton, the Bulls’ Champions Cup playoff hopes were over going into their final group clash against Stade Francais at Loftus, which they won 48-7 to qualify for the second-tier Challenge Cup playoffs.

The Sharks followed a similar pattern. A full-strength team defeated Exeter 39-21 in Durban but couldn’t overcome defending champions Toulouse. In between, a second-string side was thrashed 56-17 by Leicester at Welford Road, with coach John Plumtree defending his selections, saying, “South African players are treated like robots.” Further humiliation followed with a 66-12 loss in Bordeaux. Like the Bulls, the Sharks qualified for the Challenge Cup playoffs but sent what was effectively a Currie Cup team to Lyon (without Plumtree) and predictably relinquished the title they won last season.

The Stormers, meanwhile, failed to qualify for either the Champions Cup or Challenge Cup playoffs – a blessing in disguise for coach John Dobson, who could give his injury-hit squad a much-needed week off.

White, Plumtree and Dobson have all rightly noted that South African teams lack the depth to compete seriously in both the URC and Champions Cup, and with a stronger chance of winning the URC, prioritising it makes sense.

However, the 2027-28 season may change this. To compete against teams like Leinster, Toulouse, the Crusaders, and Chiefs in the inaugural Club World Cup, SA teams must finish among the top eight in the Champions Cup, with potentially lucrative financial incentives for the new tournament making it irresistible.

MORE: Rugby needs Club World Cup – Oberholzer

As a result, SA sides may go all-out in the Champions Cup during a Club World Cup season, potentially settling for a top-eight URC finish rather than chasing a top-two spot and a home semi-final.

In non-Club World Cup years, however, this shift is unlikely unless SA franchises can expand their squads with quality players. This would require a significant increase in the R95-million salary cap (approximately €4.6-million), which pales in comparison to, for example, Toulouse’s €49-million budget for the 2024-25 season.

Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images