Latest news with #ThomasduToit
RTÉ News
21 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Bath squeeze past Leicester in Premiership final to end 29-year title wait
Bath ended their 29-year English title drought when they survived a late surge by old rivals Leicester Tigers to triumph 23-21 in a gripping Premiership final and complete a memorable trophy treble at Twickenham on Saturday. Tries by Thomas du Toit and Max Ojomoh, after an outrageous play by out-half Finn Russell, gave Bath a healthy lead in the second half that looked set to underline their dominance of a campaign in which they finished the regular season 11 points clear of Leicester. Leicester, however, seeking a record-extending 12th title, hit back with tries by Solomone Kata and Emeka Ilione either side of a Russell penalty to set up a nail-biting finale. Bath, who lost a similarly close game to Northampton a year ago, held out, though, to complete a memorable treble after they also lifted the Premiership Cup and European Challenge Cup having not won a domestic trophy since their 1996 league and cup double. Former Ireland international Quinn Roux started in the second row for Bath, with ex-Leinster and Ireland Under-20 players Ross Molony and Niall Annett among the replacements, while their director of rugby is ex-Munster head coach Johann van Graan.
Daily Maverick
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
World Club Cup green-lighted, placing more pressure on SA teams to perform in Europe
While plans to stage the inaugural World Club Cup gather momentum, there's reason to be concerned about the state of South Africa's rugby franchises. The European Cup finals staged in Cardiff this past weekend served as a reminder of where South African rugby is falling short. While the Springboks have won back-to-back World Cups over the past seven years, the South African franchises have struggled to compete in Europe's leading club tournament. Zero teams qualified for the Champions Cup playoffs this season, while only one – the Bulls – progressed beyond the Challenge Cup round of 16. It was great to see coach Johann van Graan and Thomas du Toit flying the flag for South Africa in Bath's resounding 37-12 win over Lyon in the Challenge Cup final, and former Springbok centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg contributing to Bordeaux-Bégles' 28-20 Champions Cup victory over Northampton Saints. But really, is this the best we can hope for, some of our best coaches and players moving abroad and winning major club titles with foreign clubs? This question is particularly relevant now that plans to stage a World Club Cup are at an advanced stage. The inaugural tournament is set to kick off in June 2028, and the news, as SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer told Rapport, should force the South African franchises to take the European tournaments more seriously in the intervening years. How World Club Cup could work There's a lot that needs to be worked out, financially and logistically, before the tournament kicks off in three years. That said, news of a meeting between the chief decision-makers in Cardiff was quickly followed by a European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) press release, which highlighted an agreement between domestic competitions such as the French Top 14, United Rugby Championship and Super Rugby Pacific. Clearly there is a collective will to get this concept over the line. The 'Rugby World Club Cup' will be staged every four years, in the first year of the existing World Cup cycle. 'We had great meetings with our board, great meetings with our general assembly, who represent the three leagues and stakeholders from seven unions, and everyone is unanimous about wanting to deliver a World Club Cup – through EPCR,' chairperson Dominic McKay confirmed. The entire club schedule is set to change, with domestic tournaments staging their playoffs earlier to ensure the World Club Cup plays out at the climax of the season. The Champions Cup playoffs will fall away that season, while the pool matches could serve as a pathway to the global club event. Sixteen teams will qualify for the World Club Cup and compete across four pools. Eight of the qualifiers will be drawn from the Champions Cup, seven from Super Rugby Pacific and one from Japan Rugby League One. How South Africa fits into the equation In the wake of the announcement some have expressed concerns about player welfare, given that the new tournament will add fixtures to an already congested rugby calendar. 'To reassure everyone, we've thought about this from a player's perspective, from a fan's perspective and from a future fan's perspective,' McKay added. At the moment, organisers plan to stage the entire tournament in Europe, which could solve the problem of teams flying in and out of the southern hemisphere – and from far-flung Japan – weekly. But back to the question of the South African teams – will they actually feature at this tournament? In answering that question, it's worth looking at which 16 teams would qualify on the basis of 2024-25 season results. Based on the rankings after the Champions Cup pool phase, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Leinster, La Rochelle, Northampton, Castres, Toulon and Glasgow would advance to the elite tournament. Going by the Super Rugby Pacific log after 12 rounds, the Chiefs, Crusaders, Brumbies, Hurricanes, Reds, Moana Pasifika and the Blues would qualify. One of the Kubota Spears or Toshiba Brave Lupus – who will contest this week's JRLO final – would represent Japan. At a glance, it's a good spread that promises to serve up some dream match-ups, but the South African teams are conspicuous by their absence. Three years to get things right Nobody expects a South African team to win the Champions Cup at this stage. The Bulls, Sharks and Stormers are still coming to terms with the nature of the tournament since making their debut in 2022-23, and don't warrant comparison with perennial title contenders such as Toulouse and Leinster. What South African fans, critics and stakeholders do expect, of course, is progress. Unfortunately, results show how the leading teams have regressed over the past three seasons. After qualifying for the playoffs in 2022-23, the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers registered one win apiece in the 2024-25 pool phase, and did not feature again in the premier European tournament. There's a concern across all four South African franchises that they don't possess the personnel or resources to compete across two tournaments and, with this in mind, have prioritised the URC. Will anything change in the 2025-26 season? All three teams have made some important signings, and it's hoped that the new additions as well as a fresh mindset may lead to more favourable results in the Champions Cup. At the very least, these teams should be gunning for two home wins during the pool phase and – for the more ambitious – a home quarterfinal. As Oberholzer recently suggested, time is running out to get things right. The local teams need to start building towards that World Club Cup sooner rather than later. If they continue on their present course, South African rugby could face the ultimate embarrassment of missing the quadrennial event altogether. The next tournament will be staged in 2032, and by then many of the current players may have moved on. When Rassie Erasmus took up the role of director of rugby in 2018, he pledged to transform South African rugby into a superpower. The Boks have racked up the accolades in subsequent years, and are currently at the top of the rankings, but South Africa's franchises aren't even among club rugby's chasing pack, let alone contenders for the top prize. A hat-trick of World Cups is a worthwhile goal – and a feat that is unlikely to be matched in future, if ever again. But we've reached the point where South African rugby needs to be more ambitious in between World Cups, and the franchises need to be held to a higher standard. Again, few will bet on a South African team to win the inaugural World Club Cup in 2028, but it would be a travesty if none of the franchises makes the 16-team cut. DM
