Champions Cup is the carrot at the end of the stick for South Africa's finest

The Stormers, Bulls and Sharks are not unfamiliar with northern hemisphere teams thanks to their United Rugby Championship (URC) participation. But this is a new frontier altogether and one that South Africa’s leading clubs coveted once it was known the move north was irreversible.

READY TO GO: Eben Etzebeth of the Sharks and the Springboks. 

THIS weekend marks another significant step to South Africa’s full integration into northern hemisphere rugby with participation in the Heineken European Champions Cup for its three leading teams.

All that remains is for the Springboks to be included in an expanded Six Nations for South Africa to be a fully-fledged northern hemisphere rugby nation, residing on the southern tip of Africa. And that reality is close. But first things first – the European Champions and also the Challenge Cups await.