TOUGH EXAMINATION: Sharks and Lions face early tests for United Rugby Championship playoff credentials

SA clashes offer an early gauge of franchises’ prospects in what looks to be a demanding season.

The United Rugby Championship (URC) derbies in Pretoria and Cape Town this weekend represent the first big test of the new club season – and, as always, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will be watching.

Over the past five years, it’s been fairly easy to identify South Africa’s frontrunners for the URC title.

The Bulls have been perennial contenders for the crown, qualifying for four of the five finals, and the Stormers have been held to a higher standard since winning the inaugural tournament in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Sharks have underachieved despite their superior resources, and until last season, a Lions side with relatively few stars failed to meet the most modest of expectations by qualifying for the playoffs.

At this stage, it’s difficult to say whether any of these teams will crack on to lift the trophy in June next year and end South Africa’s four-year wait for a major club trophy.

The franchises continue to grapple with the challenge of a never-ending season, and the 2026/27 schedule will be particularly demanding, given that some of the leading players will continue to compete in the subsequent Rugby Championship and at the World Cup in Australia, which kicks off next October.

On the other hand, the respective coaches have taken some important lessons from the past five campaigns in Europe and appear to be building their squads with those challenges in mind.

Overall, South Africa’s franchises have enjoyed a relatively good start to the 2026/27 URC tournament.

The Sharks lead the table after two rounds, and the Lions are in third place after beating defending champions Leinster and the Ospreys.

Although the Bulls and Stormers recorded mixed results on their respective tours to the northern hemisphere, they accumulated sufficient league points (six) to maintain their log positions in the top eight.

Which of these teams is best placed to go the distance across a marathon rugby season? In the past, this was a relatively easy question to answer, but there’s a strong possibility that all four could be in the playoff mix next May – for the first time since the competition’s inception.

Whether the teams can compete in the URC as well as the Champions Cup is quite another story – and the coaches will show their hand when the European tournament kicks off next week. The biggest priority is a top eight finish in the URC, and the South African community may feel that silverware is long overdue.

For the reasons listed above, the derbies in Pretoria and Cape Town on Saturday, 10 October, may prove an early watershed for all involved.