Ma'a Nonu Challenges Bulls, Lions and Stormers to Get Serious in Champions Cup
- All Blacks legend Ma'a Nonu addressed SA clubs at the Champions Cup launch in Sandton on Monday
- Nonu warned that South African teams have not yet embraced what it means to compete in Europe's premier club tournament
- The Bulls, Lions and Stormers are set to open their Champions Cup campaigns on Saturday, 17 October
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SOUTH AFRICA — All Blacks legend Ma'a Nonu has issued a direct challenge to South Africa's Investec Champions Cup sides, urging them to take Europe's premier club tournament seriously.
Speaking at the South African launch of the Champions Cup in Sandton on 5 October, the two-time World Cup winner said the Bulls, Lions and Stormers had yet to fully appreciate the significance of competing among Europe's elite club sides.
"The South African teams need to realise what a privilege it is to be able to play in the competition," said Nonu, who played Champions Cup rugby for French club Toulon.
"Just look at the stature of the European teams that compete in it every year. These are teams loaded with some of the best rugby players in the world.
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"The South African teams shouldn't just see it as a bonus to take part in the competition. They need to be competitive and show [the European clubs] where they come from."
No South African side has reached the Champions Cup semi-finals since the URC clubs first gained entry to the competition in the 2022-23 season. The Sharks, meanwhile, will compete in the second-tier EPCR Challenge Cup this season.
French clubs the teams to beat
Nonu, who joined the Sharks as a mentor in July 2026 before making his bench debut against the All Blacks in August, expects French sides to continue dominating the competition.
"If you look at the Top 14, it's a competition that currently has no equal in terms of competitiveness. I think it's the best rugby competition in the world," he said, according to SA Rugby Magazine.
Nonu contrasted the current strength of French club rugby with the Super Rugby era, when South African involvement helped make the southern hemisphere competition one of the biggest attractions in the sport.
In his view, that balance has shifted considerably, with France now setting the pace both competitively and in the way elite club rugby is presented to supporters.
“Things have now changed drastically and it’s the French who are teaching us all a lesson in how to present rugby.”
Source: Getty Images
SA clubs begin campaign on 17 October
South Africa's Champions Cup campaign kicks off on Saturday, 17 October, with the Bulls hosting Stade Français at Loftus Versfeld at 2 pm. The Stormers face Bristol Bears at home at 4:15 pm, while the Lions make their tournament debut away against La Rochelle in France, with kick-off scheduled for 6:30 pm South African time.
Stormers set to unleash Springbok stars against Sharks
Briefly News previously reported that the Stormers are preparing to bring back almost their entire Springbok contingent for Saturday's United Rugby Championship derby against the Sharks.
The Stormers will hope their returning internationals can help them respond after their 17-13 defeat to Edinburgh, while the Sharks enter the clash after beating defending champions Leinster and moving to the top of the URC standings.
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Source: Briefly News
