OPINION: Time South Africa took the Champions Cup seriously

The Bulls, Stormers and Lions will be involved in the top-tier competition, while the Sharks and Cheetahs will be in action in the Challenge Cup. It’s now time the South African teams stood up in the Champions Cup. Europe’s top cup competition gets going again this weekend with the first round of pool action and the Bulls, Stormers and Lions, for the first time, will be carrying South African hopes. The Sharks and Cheetahs will play in the second-tier Challenge Cup. After four years of trying hard and putting in a bit of effort here and there it’s now up to the Bulls and Stormers especially to show that South Africa takes the Champions Cup seriously. The Lions, in their first campaign in the top tier, don’t have the depth or class to seriously be considered contenders, but they can definitely give it a good go with nothing to lose. A look at the squads picked by the Bulls and Stormers for the Champions Cup suggests Johan Ackermann and John Dobson are viewing things a little differently this time round, which is good news. For too long the South African teams have considered the European cup competitions as an unnecessary extra but hopefully that is no longer the case. Yes, it’s tough playing in the URC and in the Champions Cup, but the European teams are able to manage both, and this season it’s up to the Bulls and Stormers to fly the SA flag. They have the players, depth and experience to give it a proper go. And it’s high time, especially with the English and French clubs pushing for a reduced number of teams down the line, which could impact on South Africa’s involvement in years to come. The SA teams simply need to show this season they can mix it with the best in Europe and take the Champions Cup seriously. Not once has a South African team made it to the semi-finals stage, a poor reflection considering we like to think of ourselves as having among the best club sides in the world. Let’s now show it. Hopefully the Bulls and Stormers especially can give the likes of Toulouse and Bordeaux a bit of a run should they meet at any stage in the coming weeks and months.