WORLD CUP winner Siya Kolisi could get the chance to add a Champions Cup medal to his trophy cabinet after South African sides signed up to join a new-look league here. The 16-team league tournament, called the United Rugby Championship, starts in September to replace the Pro14. And Kolisi’s Durban-based Sharks are in the mix as all the South African sides are joining forces in the northern hemisphere. The Springboks’ first black captain, as well as players from Cape Town outfit the Stormers, the Lions from Johannesburg and the Bulls from Pretoria, will all be coming to the UK and Ireland for the ground-breaking competition. They join the likes of Welsh sides Cardiff, Ospreys, Scarlets and Dragons, Irish provinces Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht, as well as Scotland ‘s Edinburgh and Glasgow and Italian duo Benetton and Zebre. And, from the 2022 season, South African teams will be eligible to play in the Heineken Champions Cup – if a deal can be struck with European chiefs. Chief exec of the URC Martin Anayi said: “The arrival of South Africa’s elite teams and the removal of fixtures from international match weekends will make our league stronger across the board. “We now have a… Read full this story
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