WITH THE NEW URC season fast approaching, we take a look at how the four South African teams are shaping up, including all the big transfer news from the off-season.
Vodacom Bulls
Having previously come so close to tasting URC success, can this be the year the Bulls finally get over the line?
Jake White’s men have made the play-offs in every URC season, recording two memorable semi-final wins against Leinster (2022, RDS and 2024, Pretoria) while losing two finals (v Stormers 2022 and v Glasgow 2024). Last season’s final was particularly painful, with the Bulls undone by an impressive Glasgow side in their own stadium.
The Bulls have the strength and depth to challenge again, with Springbok flyer Kurt-Lee Arendse and 22-year-old backrower Cameron Hanekom both excelling last season, while the likes of Akker van der Merwe and Wilco Louw provide the heft and power up front. Yet the Bulls will have to juggle their resources, with Arendse set for a sabbatical in Japan, linking up with Sagamihara DynaBoars in Japan from December until April.
The Bulls don’t look too far off taking that next step, and White feels his team have recruited well ahead of the new campaign by adding experience to their squad. Former Sale player Cobus Wiese is a quality lock, while pacy winger Aphiwe Dyantyi is also on board after signing from the Sharks. The former Springbok returned to action in late 2023 after serving a four-year doping ban.
Ins:
- Cobus Wiese – Sale Sharks
- Boeta Chamberlain – Hollywoodbets Sharks
- Nama Xaba – DHL Stormers
- Aphiwe Dyantyi – Hollywoodbets Sharks
- Alulutho Tshakweni – Cheetahs
- Sintu Manjezi – Glasgow Warriors
Outs:
- Deon Slabbert – Pumas
- Jacques du Plessis – Bath
- Wandisile Simelane – DHL Stormers
- Chris Smith – Oyonnax
- WJ Steenkamp – Lions
Hollywoodbets Sharks
Last season’s URC was a disaster for the Sharks, who slumped to a 14th place finish, winning only four of their 18 regular-season games. It was a shocking return given the international quality on the Sharks’ books, including the likes of Ox Nche, Lukhanyo Am, Aphelele Fassi, Makazole Mapimpi, Bongi Mbonambi and Eben Etzebeth.
The potential in the group was underlined by their brilliant Challenge Cup success, with the Sharks delivering a superb performance to topple Gloucester in the final. If they can carry last year’s Challenge Cup form into this season’s URC, they’ll be a match for anyone.
The 2023 World Cup did impact the Springbok-loaded Sharks – who didn’t pick up their first win until round six – so a cleaner run at the URC should work in their favour, as should a strong off-season on the recruitment front.
Former Leinster lock Jason Jenkins and World Cup winners Trevor Nyakane and Andre Esterhuizen all joined the Sharks squad before the posterboy of South African rugby, Siya Kolisi, confirmed his early exit from Racing 92 to head back to Port Elizabeth.
There’s also been some notable exits. Aphiwe Dyanti and versatile back Boera Chamberlain both signed for the Bulls, Werner Kok has joined Richie Murphy’s Ulster and out-half Curwin Bosch moved to Brive after nine seasons as a Shark, with Siya Masuku emerging as the preferred option at 10 and Jordan Hendrikse – who debuted for the Springboks over the summer – recruited from the Lions.
Ins:
- Jordan Hendrikse – Emirates Lions
- André Esterhuizen – Harlequins
- Emmanuel Tshituka – Emirates Lions
- Jason Jenkins – Leinster
- Trevor Nyakane – Racing 92
- Ruan Dreyer – Emirates Lions
- Siya Kolisi – Racing 92
Outs:
- Le Roux Roets – Sale Sharks
- Werner Kok – Ulster
- Aphiwe Dyantyi – Vodacom Bulls
- Boeta Chamberlain – Vodacom Bulls
- Joel Hintz – Western Force
- Curwin Bosch – Brive
- Hyron Andrews – Sale Sharks
- Sikhumbuzo Notshe – Montauban
- Rohan Janse van Rensburg – Canon Eagles (short-term), Bordeaux (permanent)
- Simon Miller – released
- Zee Mkhabela – released
- Anthony Volmink – released
- Lionel Cronje – released
- Kerron van Vuuren – released
- Murray Koster – released
- Nevaldo Fleur – released
- Kabous Bezuidenhout – released
Emirates Lions
Last season ended with a sense of ‘what could have been’ for the Lions. The Johannesburg side narrowly missed out on a place in the play-offs with the race going down to the final day, a late try for the Ospreys at Cardiff seeing the Welsh side move level on points with the Lions but clinch eighth spot on total games won (10 v 9). It wouldn’t have taken too much to change their fortunes, and the Lions will have reflected on narrow defeats to the Stormers, Edinburgh and Bulls with regret.
The Lions can be highly entertaining on their day, scoring 67 tries across the 2023/24 regular season – only the Bulls (85), Leinster (81) and Glasgow (77) scored more, with some prominent rising talents in their squad.
Skillful half-back Sanele Nohamba (25 years old) shone across the campaign, moving between scrum-half and out-half before the Vodacom Player of the Season award – a prize open to the four South African teams – while all-action flanker JC Pretorius (26) has been tipped as the next Kwagga Smith.
Ins:
- Kade Wolhunter – DHL Stormers
- Franco Marais – Urayasu D-Rocks
- Juan Schoeman – Bath
- Siba Qoma – Cheetahs
- WJ Steenkamp – Vodacom Bulls
- Tapiwa Mafura – Cheetahs
Outs:
- Jordan Hendrikse – Hollywoodbets Sharks
- Hanru Sirgel – Grenoble
- Emmanuel Tshituka – Hollywoodbets Sharks
- Tyler Bocks – Ealing Trailfinders
- Ruan Dreyer – Hollywoodbets Sharks
- Johan Mulder – Cardiff
- Stean Pienaar – released
- Travis Gordan – released
- Andries Coetzee – released
- Sibusiso Sangweni – released
- Ruan Smith – released
- Corne Fourie – released
- Willem Alberts – retired
- Rhynardt Rijnsburger – retired
DHL Stormers
The Stormers expect to be in the conversation come the business end of every season, but after their impressive title win in the inaugural URC campaign (2021-22), the Cape Town-based side have failed to reach the same heights, losing a home final against Munster in 2022-23 before a fifth-place finish led to a quarter-final defeat away to eventual champions Glasgow.
This season, the ambition will be to secure a top-four finish and give themselves a better chance of advancing in the play-offs. To do that, their away form will need to improve. The Stormers lost their first five URC games on the road last year and only won three games away from home all season.
The return of Steven Kitshoff after his brief stint in Ulster is a significant boost, even though the powerful prop has been ruled out of the early stages of the season, while Evan Roos, currently sidelined with a shoulder injury, continues to be a stand-out in the Stormers back-row.
The electric Manie Libbok can still struggle for consistency but the rise of fellow Springbok out-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu should act as fuel for Libbok’s fire this season, and it will be interesting to watch how Stormers boss John Dobson weighs up that selection battle, given Feinberg-Mngomezulu played most of his club rugby at 12 last season.
Ins:
- Steven Kitshoff – Ulster
- JD Schickerling – Kobelco Kobe Steelers
- Dave Ewers – Ulster Rugby
Outs:
- Jarrod Taylor – Scarlets
- Juan de Jongh – retired
- Cornel Smit – Vodacom Bulls
- Kwenzo Blose – Exeter Chiefs
- Tristan Leyds – South Africa 7s
- Nama Xaba – Vodacom Bulls
- Hacjivah Dayimani – Racing 92
- Kade Wolhuter – Lions
- Simon Miller – released
- Godlen Masimla – released
- Lee-Marvin Mazibuko – released
- Chris Hollis – Dragons
- Chad Solomon – released
- Junior Pokomela – released
- Leon Lyons – released
- Mnombo Zwelendaba – released
