Investec Champions Cup is SA rugby’s next frontier

South African rugby has won almost everything there is to win, but the Investec Champions Cup remains the next frontier.

That was the message from Keo and Zels as they looked ahead to the opening round of the 2026-27 competition, with the Stormers hosting Bristol Bears, the Bulls welcoming Stade Français, and the 10bet Lions making their tournament debut away to La Rochelle.

For Keo, the biggest challenge is no longer travel, 4G pitches or unfamiliar conditions. South African teams are now five seasons into the northern-hemisphere club landscape, and the excuses have to fall away.

The lesson is simple: pick your strongest team, bank your home wins, and treat every pool match like a knockout.

Zels agreed, saying home victories are non-negotiable in this competition. Winning away in Europe is difficult because of travel, weather, conditions and unfamiliar venues, but losing at home makes the campaign almost impossible.

Keo made the point that the great European clubs understand the value of the star. For teams like Leinster, Toulouse and the heavyweight French and English clubs, the Investec Champions Cup is not a side quest. It is the biggest club title available in a rugby season.

That is the mindset South Africa still needs to fully embrace.

Lawrence Dallaglio, speaking to Keo at the official tournament launch in Lyon, described the competition as tougher than most Test rugby, saying only World Cup playoffs, Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry or clashes between the world’s top four Test teams compare with it.

That stuck with Keo.

If South Africa can get properly excited about the Rugby World Cup, he argued, then the country should also understand the magnitude of the Champions Cup. This is not just another club tournament. It is the World Cup of club rugby.

Riley Norton’s message was similar. The young Stormers forward said the competition gives South African fans the chance to see some of the world’s best teams and players, often only once every few years because the pools change season to season.

Jacques Raynaud, the EPCR CEO, also highlighted the growth of the tournament, with more than 100 million TV viewers worldwide last season, 1.5 million fans in stadiums and 345 million digital interactions. His hope is that South African teams now go deep, secure home knockout games and help grow the profile of the competition even further.

The Sharks have already shown what is possible by winning the EPCR Challenge Cup. Now, Keo and Zels believe the next step is for a South African side to go beyond the Champions Cup quarter-finals and genuinely challenge for the star.

As Keo put it, South African rugby has won the World Cup, the Currie Cup, Super Rugby and the URC.

Now it is time to go after the one missing piece.