In a landmark expansion of its tournaments, EPCR is delighted to confirm that the five leading clubs from South Africa will compete in the Heineken Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup from the 2022/23 season and beyond.
The DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls, Cell C Sharks and Emirates Lions, who have qualified from the URC, will add a new layer of high-quality competition to the established order of Europe’s elite clubs.
In a further development, and in addition to the four qualifiers from the URC, the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs have been invited to participate in the 2022/23 EPCR Challenge Cup.
As well as Leinster, Ulster, Munster, Edinburgh and the Ospreys, the Cape Town-based DHL Stormers, the Vodacom Bulls from Pretoria and the Durban-based Cell C Sharks will compete in next season’s Heineken Champions Cup following impressive campaigns in the URC, while the Emirates Lions from Johannesburg and the Cheetahs will fly the flag for South Africa in the EPCR Challenge Cup alongside Connacht next season.
