Heineken Champions Cup record

This will be Cell C Sharks’ debut campaign in the competition after the landmark announcement that South African sides would feature in the two European tournaments for the first time this season.

Last season

2021-22 saw Cell C Sharks compete in their first ever United Rugby Championship (URC) season. The Durban-based side reached the quarter-finals, where they lost 30-27 to fellow South African side Vodacom Bulls, who will also play in Pool A this year.

Head coach

Sean Everitt has been in the role since 2020, having been involved in Cell C Sharks’ youth set-up for a nine years before becoming assistant coach in 2017. He then became Currie Cup coach two years later and head coach after that.

Key players

Cell C Sharks’ squad is filled with plenty of South Africa internationals, but none is more noteworthy than flanker Siya Kolisi, who captained the Springboks to World Cup glory in 2019.

Centre Lukhanyo Am, wing Makazole Mapimpi, hooker Bongi Mbonambi and lock Eben Etzebeth were also key members of that squad.

Prop Thomas du Toit, another Springbok international, skippers the team, while fly-half Curwin Bosch was their leading points-scorer in last season’s URC with 138.

Pool fixtures

Cell C Sharks have been paired with Harlequins and Union Bordeaux-Bègles, with a home game against the English side in the 52,000-capacity Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium in Durban first up, before they travel to France for their first match against Bordeaux.

It’s then the reverse UBB fixture in South Africa, before they finish their pool stage with a trip to Quins’ Twickenham Stoop.

We continue our in-depth look at the 2022-23 Heineken Champions Cup Pool A sides with South African team Cell C Sharks.