Martin Anayi: South African sides made big impression in Champions Cup and there can be no argument they deserve to be in Euro competition.

The Cheetahs and Lions both sealed narrow victories over Pau and the Dragons, respectively, to sneak into the playoffs of the Challenge Cup.

Five SA teams qualified for the European playoffs, with the Lions, Sharks and Stormers set to play at home and the Bulls and Cheetahs away.

Jordan Hendrikse kicked 20 points to the Lions secured their place in the Challenge Cup playoffs with a 30-25 victory over the Dragons.

Jordan Hendrikse fast-tracked into Lions starting lineup for their must-win Challenge Cup encounter against the Dragons in Newport on Sunday.

They aren’t quite tigers in Walkerville but the Lions have looked like fish out of water in the Challenge Cup and URC.

South African sides in Champions Cup and Challenge Cup forced to play in Europe if they secure home semi-finals in those competitions.

Cheetahs suffer three-point defeat against Scarlets, while Lions lose by 10 against Stade Francais in round three of Challenge Cup.

Three yellow cards in the second half and missed opportunities in the first, saw the Lions sink to a 17-7 Challenge Cup defeat.

Lions made to pay for lack of discipline as they slumped to 17-7 defeat against Stade Francais in round three Challenge Cup tie in Paris.

Ivan van Rooyen names Jaco Kriel, Willem Alberts and Andries Coetzee and Blitzbok JC Pretorius in Lions team for Challenge Cup game in Paris.

Stormers assistant Rito Hlungwani says SA teams’ wretched set of results this past weekend in URC could be due to use 4G pitches in Europe.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s European Challenge Cup match between Stade Francais and the Lions in Paris.

Ricardo Loubscher says Lions must implement more variation into attacking plays in the Challenge Cup match against Stade Francais.

URC confirm the round 6 fixtures that were postponed in October will now take place at Ellis Park and Kings Park at the end of next month.

The Bulls were the only triumphant South African team in the URC this past weekend, with the Lions, Sharks and Stormers losing their matches.

Bulls return to winning ways with victory over Dragons, while Lions and Sharks slumped to unceremonious defeats in round 12 of the URC.

The Lions have been thrown into disarray as injury concerns mount following their 33-3 defeat against Munster in Cork.

Liam Coombes scored a late bonus-point try to lift Munster to a 33-3 win over the Lions at Musgrave Park in the United Rugby Championship.

Everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s United Rugby Championship match between the Munster and Lions at Musgrave Park in Cork.

South African teams are set to face varied challenges as they head into the 12th round of Vodacom United Rugby Championship.

Emile van Heerden, son for ex-Springbok Fritz, to make Lions debut following selection at blindside flank for their URC game against Munster.

History made as attendance record for a single round in URC was broken in round 11 with over 123,000 fans in stadiums across both hemispheres.

Ivan van Rooyen has named a 29-man Lions squad for their upcoming tour of Europe for United Rugby Championship and Challenge Cup fixtures.

The Stormers claimed an emphatic 40-8 bonus-point win over the Lions to close out the 2022 calendar year with an unbeaten home record.