Today in Sports
  • Home
  • Featured News
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • More
    • Rugby
    • Golf
    • Boxing
    • Soccer
    • NBA
    • Racing
    • Cricket
  • DMCA
  • Disclaimer
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Featured News
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • More
    • Rugby
    • Golf
    • Boxing
    • Soccer
    • NBA
    • Racing
    • Cricket
No Result
View All Result
Today in Sports
No Result
View All Result

SA DNA runs deep in Champions Cup

April 3, 2025
in Rugby
0
Home Rugby
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


You might also like

Italy hammer Namibia ahead of Bok series

The three key areas the Western Force must nail to tame the Lions

How to watch Lions v Western Force on TV – channel and UK kick-off time

The absence of South African teams in this weekend’s Investec Champions Cup last 16 should not be mistaken for insignificance.

The handprint of South African rugby on the tournament runs deep.

The South African legacy, over the past 30 years, is in those SA-born players who successfully chased club rugby’s most prestigious star.

The two most dominant teams of the past decade, Toulon and Saracens, had a strong South African presence and South Africans were influential in the title wins of Toulouse and Leinster.

If you dig deep enough, there is a South African story to be told from nearly every final, starting with SA-born and raised Bath flyhalf Mike Catt in 1998.

Catt, a former SA U20 player, became a mainstay at Bath and for England, and his name heads an impressive list of South Africans, many of them World Cup winners for South Africa and internationals for England.

This trend will continue at the weekend with a South African individual player flavour competing for clubs up north, while three of South Africa’s Vodacom URC teams, the Sharks and Vodacom Bulls and Lions play in the last 16 of the EPCR Challenge Cup.

STATE OF THE EURO CUPS: Trio lead SA’s challenge

Toulon’s record-breaking golden era, in which they won three successive finals between 2013 and 2015 included World Cup winners Bakkies Botha, Juan Smith, Danie Rossouw and Bryan Habana, while loose forward Joe van Niekerk was among the SA pioneers at Toulon. Van Niekerk played 122 times for the club and led Toulon to their first title in 2013.

Saracens, when at their peak, had a Bok backbone, with hooker Schalk Brits, prop Vincent Koch, flanker Schalk Burger and scrumhalf Neil de Kock among the most influential Springboks at the club. Brad Barritt, a former SA U20 midfielder, would play for England and the British & Irish Lions and he would lead Saracens in some of their finest triumphs. Barritt and Brits both played more than 200 matches each for Saracens and De Kock finished with 250 matches for the English club.

Toulouse’s resurgence, in winning their fifth star, included the brilliance of winger Cheslin Kolbe and loose forward Rynardt Halstead, while current Springbok scrum coach Daan Human was a double star winner with Toulouse in a French club career that totalled 169 matches for Toulouse.

Toulouse added a sixth star last season with a pulsating win against Leinster.

Human, Gurthro Steenkamp and Shaun Sowerby are among the original SA trio to win the star with Toulouse and also play over 100 matches each for the club.

Former Springbok prop Heinke van der Merwe and SA born and raised hooker Richardt Strauss won two titles with Leinster and Van der Merwe would add an EPCR Challenge Cup gold playing for Stade Francais.

Kolbe also has a unique Champions Cup and Challenge Cup double, winning the former with Toulouse and the latter with Toulon.

EPCR chairman Dominic McKay spoke of the heritage and culture of the competition and how South Africa’s introduction has added to the culture and, in time, will do the same to the heritage of the world’s toughest rugby club competition.

“There is such a rich history of the competition and with the South African teams joining, it has made such a difference,” said McKay. “We couldn’t be more proud to have South Africa as part of the Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup. The contribution that South Africa have made from a sporting point of view has been incredible. The contribution South Africa has made from a cultural point of view is equally important to me.

“I often talk about the importance of the values of rugby. The idea that this sport is more than just the 80 minutes on the field. It’s about everything that wraps around. It’s the values of the game. And that’s best expressed, I think, often by the transport and the movement of fans and travel.

“It is outstanding and that is something which we as a sport should be very protective of. It’s our unique selling point, perhaps, over other sports. And that idea of cultural exchanges, opportunities for the players to challenge themselves in a different hemisphere, sometimes altitude, is a wonderful experience for a player, for a coach and for the referees.”

SA-born Investec Champions Cup winnersBathMike Catt (centre/flyhalf/fullback – 1998)Northampton SaintsGarry Pagel (prop – 2000)Leicester TigersGlen Gelderbloom (centre – 2001, 2002)MunsterTrevor Halstead (centre – 2006)Shaun Payne (fullback – 2006)London WaspsStuart Abbott (centre – 2004)ToulouseDaan Human (prop – 2003, 2005)Shaun Sowerby (No 8 – 2005Gurthro Steenkamp (prop – 2010)Cheslin Kolbe (wing/fullback – 2021)Rynhardt Elstadt (flank/lock – 2021)ToulonBakkies Botha (lock – 2013, 2014, 2015)Bryan Habana (wing – 2014, 2015)Danie Rossouw (lock/loose forward – 2013, 2014)Juan Smith (flank – 2014, 2015)Joe van Niekerk (No 8 – 2013)Michael Claassens (scrumhalf – 2014)Craig Burden (hooker – 2014)SaracensNeil de Kock (scrumhalf – 2016, 2017)Schalk Brits (hooker – 2016, 2017)Vincent Koch (prop – 2017, 2019Brad Barritt (centre – 2016, 2017, 2019)Schalk Burger (flank – 2019)Mouritz Botha (lock – 2011)Matt Stevens (prop – 2011)LeinsterRichardt Strauss (hooker – 2011, 2012)Heinke van der Merwe (prop – 2011, 2012)Exeter ChiefsJacques Vermeulen (flank – 2020)Jannes Kirsten (lock/flank – 2020)La RochelleDillyn Leyds (wing/fullback – 2022, 2023)Raymond Rhule (wing – 2022)

Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images



Source link

Tags: ChampionscupDeepDNAruns
Share30Tweet19

Recommended For You

Italy hammer Namibia ahead of Bok series

by TODAY IN SPORTS
June 28, 2025
0
Italy hammer Namibia ahead of Bok series

Italy prepared for their two-Test series against the Springboks with a big win over Namibia in Windhoek on Friday. The Azzurri scored 11 tries in a 73-6 victory,...

Read more

The three key areas the Western Force must nail to tame the Lions

by TODAY IN SPORTS
June 28, 2025
0
The three key areas the Western Force must nail to tame the Lions

The British and Irish Lions have landed on our shores, and all of a sudden, rugby’s most historic series is mere hours from getting underway.The Lions fell short...

Read more

How to watch Lions v Western Force on TV – channel and UK kick-off time

by TODAY IN SPORTS
June 27, 2025
0
How to watch Lions v Western Force on TV – channel and UK kick-off time

The Lions kick off their tour in Australia with a match against Western Force first upThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales...

Read more

Return of the Mack: Hansen ‘living the dream’ on Lions trip back to Australia | British & Irish Lions

by TODAY IN SPORTS
June 27, 2025
0
Return of the Mack: Hansen ‘living the dream’ on Lions trip back to Australia | British & Irish Lions

Mack Hansen says he feels like is living in “an alternate universe” on the eve of his first start for the British & Irish Lions in his native...

Read more

British and Irish Lions Tour opener, Top 14 Final, Legends bow out for BaaBaas

by TODAY IN SPORTS
June 27, 2025
0
British and Irish Lions Tour opener, Top 14 Final, Legends bow out for BaaBaas

There is a mix of international rugby and club rugby this weekend, as different nations are at different stages of their seasons.  The British and Irish Lions are officially in...

Read more
Next Post
Liverpool and Arsenal could go head-to-head in Eze transfer race

Liverpool and Arsenal could go head-to-head in Eze transfer race

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related News

Manchester United ready “formal proposal” after talks with Viktor Gyokeres’ camp over summer move – Man United News And Transfer News

Manchester United ready “formal proposal” after talks with Viktor Gyokeres’ camp over summer move – Man United News And Transfer News

June 12, 2025
Auger Aliassime shares his POV on the Madrid dramatic walkovers

Auger Aliassime shares his POV on the Madrid dramatic walkovers

May 4, 2024
Canelo Álvarez Reaffirms His Reign with Win Over William Scull – World Boxing Association

Canelo Álvarez Reaffirms His Reign with Win Over William Scull – World Boxing Association

May 5, 2025

Browse by Category

  • Athletics
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Football
  • Golf
  • MMA
  • NBA
  • NFL
  • Racing
  • Rugby
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
Today in Sports

Get the Latest Sports News and Updates on TodayInSports.net. Soccer News, Basketball News, Baseball News, Golf News, Boxing News and More!

CATEGORIES

  • Athletics
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Football
  • Golf
  • MMA
  • NBA
  • NFL
  • Racing
  • Rugby
  • Soccer
  • Tennis

Recent News

  • Yankees’ Aaron Boone confirms news on pitcher Marcus Stroman
  • Why is the Benfica vs. Chelsea second half delayed at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025?
  • Video: Reece James scores free kick from ridiculous angle in Chelsea vs. Benfica at FIFA Club World Cup 2025
  • Contact us
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • DMCA
  • Get the Latest Sports News and Updates on TodayInSports.net.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Copyright © 2024 Today in Sports.
Today in Sports is not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Featured News
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • More
    • Rugby
    • Golf
    • Boxing
    • Soccer
    • NBA
    • Racing
    • Cricket

Copyright © 2024 Today in Sports.
Today in Sports is not responsible for the content of external sites.