'Regressing' South Africa has a lot to learn from Northampton Saints

It’s often argued that clubs outside of France – and the rest not called Leinster – cannot compete on multiple fronts in Europe. That any progress made on the continent yields backward steps on the home front.

This is often met with angry shakes of the fist and indignant sighs. “It’s not fair,” most fans lament. “This is further proof that rugby is a game played by unequals.”

But is this really a cause for despair? One only has to cast an eye at the Northampton Saints and their supporters to get a sense of how things could be if coaches and directors of rugby strategically prioritised the Investec Champions Cup and aligned all efforts in that direction.

Days out from competing in a showdown for the most glittering prize in club rugby, Northampton sit eighth in the Gallagher Premiership. They’ve lost more games than they’ve won in league rugby and have a negative points difference.

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This is in stark contrast to their domestic campaign last year, when they topped the table before edging Saracens and Bath in the play-offs to claim their second title. That same year, they fizzled out towards the back end of the Champions Cup. This contrast underlines a crucial point: there’s only so much firepower that can be unleashed. Only clubs with near-endless resources can fire in two directions at once.

Yet, in proving this point, Northampton have set an example worth following, particularly for South African sides, who have struggled to balance the demands of the United Rugby Championship (URC) with their European ambitions.

By taking a leaf out of the Saints’ playbook, the Bulls, Sharks, and Stormers (with the Lions not quite there yet) could mount a meaningful Champions Cup challenge. In doing so, they could finally back up their claims of taking the competition seriously and shift public perception in the process.

But first and foremost, they need to win the URC. Continental conquest must be earned through domestic dominance. The Stormers, having won the inaugural URC in 2022, are arguably best placed to lead the way. In fact, they carry an obligation to blaze this trail.

Once a URC title is secured, South African teams must then put all their efforts into a calculated pursuit of Champions Cup glory, not instantly, but over a two to three-year window. Here’s how that might look:

Say the Bulls win the URC this year, beating Leinster in the final in June. Jake White, who previously suggested his hands were tied when he fielded what looked like a ‘B’ team against Northampton, would now have the credibility to say: “By 2028, we will conquer Europe.”

That would mean, for at least the next two seasons, White would commit to fielding his best available match-day 23 in Champions Cup fixtures. Key players would be rotated domestically to ensure peak form in Europe. URC games would become proving grounds for young players and opportunities to refine systems designed for battles in France and England.

This message would need to be communicated clearly and relentlessly. Press releases, sponsor statements, media interviews; all should carry the same message: Nothing matters more than winning club rugby’s top trophy. Absolute buy-in would be imperative.

There is precedent. For most of his Springbok tenure, Rassie Erasmus singularly prioritised the World Cup. Only in 2024 did he begin to treat the Rugby Championship and autumn Tests with equal weight. Before that, he held a win rate of about 57 percent in non-World Cup years.

Did anyone in South Africa care? Not really. A first ever loss to Wales on home soil as well as poor showings in the Championship were footnotes. As long as the Boks hoisted the Webb Ellis Cup, nothing else mattered. This same mindset should be adopted by South African franchises regarding the Champions Cup.

The truth is South African clubs have not earned their place at Europe’s top table. Not yet. Since entering in 2022, the Bulls, Sharks, and Stormers have a combined win rate of just 50 percent across 40 matches. None have reached the semi-finals. Not one made it past the group stage this season. They’re not progressing, they’re regressing. And unless something changes, they risk being left behind.

We’ve heard enough lip service. John Dobson has said, “As South Africans we have to be better.” White has echoed that. Well, it’s time to stop talking and start delivering. If South African clubs won’t treat the Champions Cup with the respect it deserves, then they’ll only prove that they don’t belong in it.

Will this shift mean more domestic defeats? Almost certainly. But so be it. And if you’re wondering whether it would be worth the sacrifice, take a walk around Franklin’s Gardens. Or stop a Saints fan in Cardiff this weekend ahead of the final. Ask them if they care that their team might finish eighth in the Premiership. I wouldn’t count on it.