World Cup winner White warns 'naive' South Africans ahead of Champions Cup debut

Jake White. Image: Steve Haag Sports/Steve Haag/INPHO RUGBY WORLD CUP-winning former Springboks coach Jake White has compared the Champions Cup to Test matches, as South African clubs debut in the competition on Saturday.

When New Zealand quit the four-nation Super Rugby in 2020 amid coronavirus and player discontent about lengthy flights across multiple time zones, South Africa needed a new ‘home’. White knows European clubs intimately having guided Montpellier to Europe’s second-tier Challenge Cup title in 2016, nine years after leading South Africa to World Cup glory in France.“We will be coming up against teams packed with internationals. European teams do not just draw from the player pool of their country — they have stars from all the top rugby nations.

- Puzzling refereeing - South African players have often been puzzled by refereeing in the URC and White admitted it was an issue. Weather can be troublesome for South Africans when they travel, although campaigning in the URC has helped players adapt. The Bulls, Sharks and Stormers have 70 million rand salary caps per season for 50 strong squads, less than half the amount available to French clubs.

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