SA teams turn attention to Champions and Challenge Cups: Fixtures

The Stormers, Bulls and Lions will compete in the Champions Cup, while the Sharks and Cheetahs do battle in the Challenge Cup. Pressure is on South Africa’s rugby teams ahead of this weekend’s return to the Champions and Challenge Cups, with none having achieved much success in the competitions over the past two seasons. The Stormers and Bulls (Champions Cup) and Sharks (Challenge Cup) all fell out at the last-16 stage last year, while the Lions and Cheetahs failed to even qualify for the play-offs in the second-tier Challenge Cup. It followed an even more disappointing 2024/25 season. There, no teams reached the Champions Cup play-offs and while the Lions, Bulls and Sharks reached the Challenge Cup last-16, only the Bulls progressed to the quarter-finals. Now, the Stormers and Bulls, coming off strong home wins in local URC derbies over the weekend, remain at home for their Champions Cup fixtures. Top-tier Champions Cup action The Stormers take on English powerhouse Bristol Bears after narrowly losing 28-27 to Toulon in last year’s last-16 clash, following a string of referee decisions that went against them late in the game. Coming from an impressive win over the Sharks, the Stormers will analyse Bristol’s nine-try-to-seven win over the Bulls (score 61-49) at Loftus last year. The Bulls carry momentum from their nine-try win over the Lions into a tricky clash against Stade Français, whom they have only played once, and won well (48-7 in 2025). The Lions feature in the Champions Cup for the first time, after reaching the URC play-offs last season. They have a tough pool 2 opening fixture away to La Rochelle, a first-ever clash between the sides. Sharks and Cheetahs to contest the Challenge Cup In the second-tier Challenge Cup, the Sharks return to the tournament they won in 2023/24 after two successive last-16 exits. Their 10th-place finish in last year’s United Rugby Championship means they can only contest the Challenge Cup this season. They travel to Lyon, who were responsible for their 2024/25 play-off defeat, on Saturday afternoon. The Cheetahs play their first Challenge Cup fixture away to Aviron Bayonnais at Sade Jean Dauger. The Bloemfontein side – now based at St Helen’s in Swansea, Wales – will still feel aggrieved after their hopes of qualifying for a play-off spot were dashed when their round three fixture against Ulster was snowed out in Amsterdam last year, with the organisers awarding the win to the visiting Irish side. Champions Cup fixtures Bulls v Stade Français at Loftus Versveld – Saturday at 2pm Stormers v Bristol Bears at Cape Town Stadium – Saturday at 4pm Lions v Aviron Bayonnais at Sade Jean Dauger – Saturday at 6.30pm Challenge Cup Fixtures Sharks v Lyon at Matmut Stadium – Saturday at 2pm Cheetahs v Aviron Bayonnais at Stade Jean-Dauger – Sunday at 2pm The teams return to the URC next week. The Champions and Challenge Cups only resume with round two in December. Rounds three and four follow in January.