The Champions Cup features top teams from Europe and South Africa. No South African side has progressed past the quarter-finals.
The European Rugby Champions Cup is one of the hardest competitions to win in sport.
The top-tier tournament of its kind features three pools of the best teams from Europe and South Africa, including sides from England and France, who do not play in the league-formatted United Rugby Championship (URC).
While the Stormers won the URC in 2021/22 and reached the final the next year, no South African team has progressed past the quarter-finals in the Champions Cup.
South African sides only joined the tournament in its ninth edition, during the 2022/23 season. In that year, the Sharks crashed out to Toulouse 54–20 and the Stormers lost to Exeter 42–17 in the quarter-finals.
In the 2023/24 season (last year), only the Bulls reached the quarter-finals. But like their compatriots, they too received a thrashing. They lost 59–22 to Northampton Saints.
In the end, Toulouse beat Leinster 31–22 in last season’s final at Aviva Stadium in Ireland.
Champions Cup winners and history
Eleven editions of the Champions Cup have been held in its current format. Its equivalent was known as the Heineken Cup between 1995 and 2014.
Disagreements between shareholders led to it being taken over by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) and the changing of its name.
French clubs have won the most titles (12), followed by England (10) and Ireland (seven). However, England have the highest number of winning teams – six.
French side Toulouse have won the Champions Cup six times, going back to the first edition in 1995/96. As mentioned, they are also the current champions.
Leinster of Ireland are the second most successful club in the tournament, having won four times.
Guy Novès is the only coach to have won the tournament four times – doing so with Toulouse in 1996, 2003, 2005, and 2010.
SA teams have their work cut out
This Saturday, the Sharks will host Exeter Chiefs, the Stormers will host Toulon and Saracens will host the Bulls.
The South African sides have their work cut out for them, with the Sharks getting both Toulouse and English giants Exeter Chiefs in their pool.
The Bulls have no easier opponents, with Munster, Northampton and Saracens matches coming up.
The Stormers must take on Racing 92 and the always-impressive Glasgow Warriors in their pool.
La Rochelle and Leinster will be the ones to look out for in pool 2, with the French side featuring in two finals in the past three years and Leinster in all three.
Teams qualify for the tournament based on their position in their respective leagues. There will be four pool stage rounds before four knock-out rounds held next year.
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