South African sevens convert believes URC and Champions Cup are making Springboks stronger than ever

Having gone 'Bokke to Bokke' with Rugby World Cup triumphs in 2019 and 2023, and now adding these two consecutive annual accolades to the trophy collection, the question can be raised as to whether this current generation of Springboks are the greatest ever to don the green and gold.

This six-year run as reigning World Champions, can find a foundation within the club structure of South African rugby. Rugby starts at schoolboy level in the land of the Springboks, with incredible capacity crowds producing countless viral moments, with impassioned songs and chants along the terraces. Then the bridges to the elite game are found at University level, and the Gold Cup for those non-student sides that are still bustling with break-out stars.

The Currie Cup then provides the best of a generation with a direct springboard to South Africa's four professional franchises, as the Sharks (Durban), Stormers (Cape Town), Bulls (Pretoria) and Lions (Johannesburg) recruit the brightest sparks to reinforce their hulking squads. However, a key development came in 2021, when these four South African sides departed from Super Rugby and found a new home within the United Rugby Championship.

South African wing Werner Kok believes that this change from Super Rugby to the URC, has only made the Springboks into a more well-rounded winning machine. Kok is a legend of the South African sevens Blitzbok squad, and in 2020 he transitioned to the 15s side of the game with the Sharks. After four years with the Durban side, Kok know plys his trade with Ulster, with the two sides set to meet this Saturday.

"I think since the South African teams joined the URC, the rugby in South Africa just got better." Kok said in an Ulster Rugby press conference.

"They [South African clubs] always played Super Rugby, and they played against the three different nations [New Zealand, Australia and Argentina] and now that they are playing in the Champions Cup and the URC, they get exposed to everyone. With the Champions Cup, against all the French teams, that makes them so much better. So, they get exposure to everyone in the world that makes our international team just so much better.

"Hopefully South Africa also gives back to all the other teams. Like playing against all the Irish teams, the Welsh teams, Italian teams, and hopefully they get a bit of exposure to build into their [own] national teams, even going into the next World Cup."

Within a relatively short space of time, the South African clubs have thrived within their Northern Hemisphere competitions at an impressive rate of adjustment. The Stormers and Bulls met in the first ever URC Final, with the South African impact immediatley witnessed across the competition. The Stormers claimed the maiden URC crown in 2021/22, before then falling to Munster in the following season finale.

The Bulls would return to the URC Final in 2024 and 2025, with defeats to Glasgow Warriors and Leinster keeping the league title out of the Pretoria club's grasp for now. Upon the traditionally 'European' stage, the Sharks became the first South African club to win the EPCR Challenge Cup, after defeating Gloucester in the 2024 showpiece event. For the time being, a South African side is yet to win the Champions Cup, yet this could all change as the Springboks continue to tighten their grip upon the Northern Hemisphere.

It was revealed earlier in the Summer, that the Rugby Championship would not be returning in 2026. Instead, the All Blacks will embark upon a traditional tour of South Africa for the first time in 30 years, with questions raised around what Australia or Argentina will do to fill the international window. Werner Kok believes that an annual Springboks tour of the United Kingdom could be the long-term answer, as he backs the Boks to find a way to dominate the global rugby landscape.

"What I know about South African rugby, is that they'll always find something or some kind of tournament that they will get a part of and will play with. If they're going to ship that Rugby Championship, to a bit more of a United Kingdom type based thing, where they play against English and Welsh and Scottish teams and things like that.

"But, it seems like there will be more rugby next season for the Springboks, than just the Rugby Championship. So, they'll figure it out somehow. Rugby is a religion in South Africa. They will always be able to find a way to play international games, so I don't think it will benefit, or be negative towards the rugby or the international rugby in our country."

Pivoting from the Springboks, Kok then turned his attention to his sevens background as Ulster boast an impressive newcomer to the 15-a-side game. Kok, a bronze medal holder from the 2016 Rio Olympics, is now training in the back-three alongside Zac Ward, who represented Ireland at the 2024 Paris Games. Kok expressed how he and Ward continuously learn of one-another, given their shared history in the lung-busting variation of the sport.

"It's not easy transitioning from sevens to fifteens. The fields are so much smaller, there's no space to go. You really have to work hard to get into space. The first few months of when Zac slotted in, we actually spoke a lot about it, and I tried to help him here and there.

"It's nice to see it's paying off. Wherever I can help him in that situation, it's great to see he's picking the fruits at the moment. So, it is awesome, we have to help each other out, because at the end of the day, it's not me or Zac or Rob (Baloucoune) or whoever that's winning the game, it's Ulster that wins. And if Ulster is successful, all of us are successful."