Five South African club sides will join expanded versions of the Champions and Challenge Cups next season, it has been confirmed, in a move that changes the face of European rugby.
The four United Rugby Championship sides - Stormers, Bulls, Sharks and Lions - had been expected to appear in the competitions next season. But the new development is that the Cheetahs, who were cast aside when the Guinness PRO14 became the United Rugby Championship in 2021, have been invited to join.
After completing a full season in the URC, the Stormers, Bulls and Sharks all qualified for a place in the top-tier Champions Cup. The only Welsh team in that competition will be the Ospreys after they finished as the top team from Wales in the URC.
