The match-day squads for this weekend’s Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup matches involving South African sides.
INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP
BAYONNE vs STORMERS (Friday, 10pm)
STORMERS – 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Clinton Swart, 9 Imad Khan, 8 Ruan Ackermann, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Connor Evans, 4 Salmaan Moerat (c), 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 JJ Kotzé, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Bench: 16 Lukhanyo Vokozela, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Adré Smith, 20 JD Schickerling, 21 Evan Roos, 22 Dewaldt Duvenage, 23 Jonathan Roche.
MORE: Stormers wary of familiar face in France
BAYONNE – 15 Yohan Orabé, 14 Tom Spring, 13 Cheikh Tiberghien, 12 Federico Mori, 11 Victor Hannoun, 10 Joris Segonds, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Nika Lomidze, 7 Arthur Iturria, 6 Alexandre Fischer, 5 Lucas Paulos, 4 Alvaro Garcia Landolino, 3 Marco Fepulea’i, 2 Vincent Giudicelli, 1 Ignacio Calles.
Bench: 16 Lucas Martin, 17 Swan Cormenier, 18 Pascal Cotet, 19 Manex Ariceta, 20 Facundo Bosch, 21 Raphaël Marchesin, 22 Baptiste Tilloles, 23 Arnaud Erbinartegaray.
🤩 The 2025/26 season starts, NOW! 🤩
The #InvestecChampionsCup is Where Extraordinary Happens, who will lift the trophy in Bilbao? 🏆
Get tickets for the final now ➡️ https://t.co/9bMoYZ4rwJ 🎟️ pic.twitter.com/DvoejO1NP3
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 5, 2025
VODACOM BULLS vs BORDEAUX BÈGLES (Saturday, 5:15pm)
BULLS – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Sebastian de Klerk, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Marcell Coetzee (c), 7 Reinhardt Ludwig, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Alulutho Tshakweni.
Bench: 16 Johann Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Jeandré Rudolph, 22 Embrose Papier, 23 Stravino Jacobs.
ACKERS: Bulls can’t be soft against Bordeaux
BORDEAUX BÈGLES – 15 Romain Buros, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Nicolas Depoortere, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Maxime Lucu (c), 8 Temo Matiu, 7 Cameron Woki, 6 Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Boris Palu, 3 Carlü Sadie, 2 Maxime Lamothe, 1 Jefferson Poirot.
Bench: 16 Gaetan Barlot, 17 Matis Perchaud, 18 Ben Tameifuna, 19 Jonny Gray, 20 Tiaan Jacobs, 21 Arthur Retiere, 22 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 23 Salesi Rayasi.
TOULOUSE vs SHARKS (Sunday, 5:15pm)
TOULOUSE – 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Ange Capuozzo, 13 Teddy Thomas, 12 Kalvin Gourgues, 11 Blair Kinghorn, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Paul Graou, 8 Alexandre Roumat, 7 Anthony Jelonch, 6 Leo Banos, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Thibaud Flament, 3 Joel Merkler, 2 Julien Marchand (c), 1 Rodrigue Neti.
Bench: 16 Guillaume Cramont, 17 David Ainu’u, 18 Dorian Aldegheri, 19 Joshua Brennan, 20 Mathis Castro-Ferreira, 21 Antoine Dupont, 22 Paul Costes, 23 Dimitri Delibes.
MORE: JP takes over from Plum at Shark Tank
SHARKS – 15 Hakeem Kunene, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Le Roux Malan, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Ross Braude, 8 Nick Hatton (c), 7 Bathobele Hlekani, 6 Matt Romao, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 JJ Scheepers, 3 Mawande Mdanda, 2 Eduan Swart, 1 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko.
Bench: 16 Fez Mbatha, 17 Simphiwe Ngobese, 18 Cebo Dlamini, 19 Jannes Potgieter, 20 Tinotenda Mavesere, 21 Jaden Hendrikse, 22 Jean Smith, 23 Phikolomzi Sobahle.
PREVIEW: SA sides brace for French fire
EPCR CHALLENGE CUP
LIONS vs BENETTON (Saturday, 3pm)
LIONS – 15 Quan Horn, 14 Kelly Mpeku, 13 Erich Cronje, 12 Bronson Mills, 11 Eduan Keyter, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn (c), 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Jarod Cairns, 5 Reinhard Nothnagel, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Franco Marais, 1 SJ Kotze.
Bench: 16 Morne Brandon, 17 Edward Davids, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Darrien Landsberg, 20 Renzo du Plessis, 21 Nico Steyn, 22 Richard Kriel, 23 Gianni Lombard.
BENETTON – 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Leonardo Marin, 11 Ignacio Mendy, 10 Jacob Umaga, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Alessandro Izekor, 7 Michele Lamaro (c), 6 Manuel Zuliani, 5 Eli Snyman, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Bautista Bernasconi, 1 Thomas Gallo.
Bench: 16 Nicholas Gasperini, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Giosué Zilocchi, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 So’otala Fa’aso’o, 21 Riccardo Favretto, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Tomas Albornoz.
MORE: Lions target home Challenge Cup playoffs
Our EPCR drip confirmed.
New colours. Same City. Same Pride. 🔥
Available in store and online. #ForOurCity #LionsPride pic.twitter.com/MbdfPAnDVw— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) December 3, 2025
EXETER CHIEFS vs CHEETAHS
EXETER CHIEFS – 15 Ben Hammersley, 14 Olly Woodburn, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 10 Harvey Skinner, 9 Charlie Chapman, 8 Greg Fisilau, 7 Ethan Roots, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Dafydd Jenkins (c), 3 Bachuki Tchumbadze, 2 Jack Yeandle, 1 Scott Sio.
Bench: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Will Goodrick-Clarke, 18 Jimmy Roots, 19 Lewis Pearson, 20 Kane James, 21 Tom Cairns, 22 Will Haydon-Wood, 23 Dan John.
CHEETAHS – 15 Michael Annies, 14 Munier Hartzenberg, 13 De-an Ackermann, 12 Zander du Plessis, 11 Prince Nkabinde, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 8 Gideon van der Merwe, 7 Juan Venter, 6 Pierre Uys, 5 Victor Sekekete, 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Louis van der Westhuizen (c), 1 Cameron Dawson.
Bench: 16 Vernon Paulo, 17 Tielman Nieuwoudt, 18 Frankie Dos Reis, 19 Sisonke Vumazonke, 20 Neels Volschenk, 21 Daniel Maarten, 22 Jandré Nel, 23 Cohen Jasper.
