DUBLIN, IRELAND - JUNE 14: Vodacom Bulls players huddle before the United Rugby Championship, final match between Leinster and Vodacom Bulls at Croke Park on June 14, 2025 in Dublin Ireland. (Photo by Seb Daly/Gallo Images)
Three of South Africa’s big rugby franchises will put the United Rugby Championship on the back burner for the next two weekends as they focus on the European cup competitions, the Champions Cup and the second-tier Challenge Cup.
The Stormers and Bulls are both in action in the top-tier Champions Cup round of 16 this weekend, while the Sharks are in action in the Challenge Cup, also in the round of 16.
The Lions and Cheetahs are both out of the competitions, having been eliminated in the group phase some time back.
No South African team has previously progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions Cup, but the Stormers and Bulls have a chance to do so this season, though they will first have to win their matches this weekend and get through next weekend’s quarter-finals.
SA teams in action
The Stormers are up against French powerhouse Toulon in Toulon on Saturday (4pm), while the Bulls are also way, to Glasgow Warriors, in Glasgow (6.30pm) on the same day.
Both South African teams will fancy their chances of an away win, with the Stormers in second place on the URC log and performing well in that competition, while the Bulls have won two URC games in a row and coach Johan Ackermann has picked a formidable squad, including 14 Springboks, for the match.
“If we’re in the play-offs in the Champions Cup, we must give it a go. We will give it our best shot, and then we’ll take it from there,” Ackermann said ahead of the team’s trip to the north.
“Glasgow are in front of us this week, but we’ll need to be better than we were against Munster if we hope to win.”
Toulon on home turf are never easy to beat but they’ve not had the best of times in the French Top 14, currently sitting 11th with just eight wins from 20 games.
Glasgow, however, are on top of the points table in the URC and also tough to beat at home.
The Sharks, winners of the second tier Challenge Cup just a few seasons ago, are also away from home, on Friday, to URC side Connacht (9pm). There doesn’t seem to be much between the teams with the Irish side ninth and the Sharks 10th on the URC log.
Champions Cup fixtures
Friday: Northampton v Castres 9pm
Saturday: Toulon v Stormers 4pm, Bath v Saracens 4pm, Toulouse v Bristol 6.30pm, Glasgow Warriors v Bulls 6.30pm, Harlequins v Sale 9pm
Sunday: Bordeaux-Begles v Leicester 4pm, Leinster v Edinburgh 6.30pm
Challenge Cup fixtures
Friday: Connacht v Sharks 9pm
Saturday: Exeter v Munster 1.30pm, Montpellier v Perpignan 1.30pm, Benetton v Cardiff 6.30pm, Ulster v Ospreys 9pm, Newcastle v La Rochelle 9pm
Sunday: Stade Francais v Dragons 1.30pm, Zebre v Pau 6.30pm
