Sharks and Springbok prop Trevor Nyakane says the Investec Champions Cup is the toughest club competition in world rugby.
Nyakane will be among several South Africans preparing for the return of Europe’s elite club competition on Friday, 5 December, when the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers join the continent’s top sides in pursuit of the 2026 final in Bilbao.
“It’s almost like you’re playing Test rugby week in and week out,” said Nyakane. “You get the best of the best in one competition.”
The Sharks will kick off their campaign with a tough fixture against six-time winners Toulon in France on 7 December.
The Stormers face Bayonne in France on 5 December, while the Bulls host defending champions Bordeaux Bègles on 6 December.
MORE: ‘Bulls want to win Champions Cup’
The EPCR Challenge Cup, featuring the Cheetahs and Lions, returns the same weekend.
The Champions Cup has become the ultimate test of club rugby quality — and for many players, it’s an essential measure of their ambitions.
“Everyone wants to play in the Investec Champions Cup,” said Scotland’s Huw Jones. “If you want to be the best, then you have to challenge yourself against the best.”
French star Maxime Lucu, whose Bordeaux Bègles side lifted the trophy last season, said the triumph reflected “a moment of huge pride and happiness” and proved how much the competition now means to European fans.
With South African stars such as Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Andre Esterhuizen and Kurt-Lee Arendse in superb form on the Springboks’ end-of-year tour, the country’s franchises will be eager to carry that momentum into Europe.
Investec Champions Cup fixtures
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Sharks and Springbok prop Trevor Nyakane says the Investec Champions Cup is the toughest club competition in world rugby.
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