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Etzebeth rooting for Lions to make the Champions Cup
'It’ll be great to have all four South African franchises in the Champions Cup,' said Etzebeth.
Eben Etzebeth says SA teams need to be involved in the Champions Cup so public interest can grow in the tournament. Picture: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images.
Sharks and Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth will be rooting for the Lions when they take on his former side, the Stormers, in a crucial United Rugby Championship match on Saturday at the Cape Town Stadium (1.45pm).
The main reason Etzebeth is putting his weight behind the Lions is because he wants them to qualify for the Champions Cup. If the Lions, who are currently in ninth place with 49 points on the URC points table, manage to clinch a top seven finish they will join the Sharks, Bulls and Stormers in the European Cup.
Champions Cup, a slow burner in SA
A strong presence of South African teams in the Champions Cup is something Etzebeth feels will grab the attention of the local rugby fraternity, who are yet to open up to the competition as it is still foreign to them.
“It is great for South African rugby; we hope the Lions can make it in there so we can have four teams in there. It’ll be great to have all four South African franchises in the Champions Cup,” said Etzebeth.
“I really think South African fans are not aware of how big the Champions Cup is. You can see how the stadiums get full when you play overseas; everyone gets excited for the Champions Cup game.
“Hopefully, our fans can also start to see how big the competition is, it’s like a world cup for club rugby. Hopefully, when we play the Champions Cup group stages we can fill Kings Park and people feel the excitement,” he said.
Sharks have character and belief
The Sharks secured their place in the Champions Cup next season by winning the Challenge Cup against Gloucester last Friday. Reflecting on how the team went about winning the competition, Etzebeth said the Sharks showed their character.
“Within the group, the character that was shown, that semi-final (against Clermont) was the biggest game of the tournament, coming back to win showed a lot of character. The character was questioned five months ago.
“The belief and trust we showed speaks of the team and we can take it to next season,” Etzebeth said.
The Sharks take on the Bulls in their final game of the URC on Saturday at Kings Park Stadium (kick-off 4.10pm).
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