With Wales just days away from a Rugby World Cup semi-final against the Springboks, we take a look back at some of the best South African players to have lifted the European Cup. Trevor Halstead – 2006 Former Springboks centre Trevor Halstead may only have spent two seasons with Munster Rugby, but he played a key role in the Irish province’s 2006 European Cup success. Having signed from Super Rugby and Currie Cup side Sharks, Halstead made an instant impact, playing eight European Cup matches and scoring three tries as Munster marched to the final, defeating Biarritz 23-19 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. He would play a further five times for Munster in the European Cup, including a 24-15 defeat to Scarlets in the 2007 quarter-finals. Shaun Sowerby – 2010 No.8 Shaun Sowerby made 50 appearances in European rugby during an eight-year spell in France, featuring for Stade Français Paris, Toulouse and Grenoble. It was at Toulouse that he had most success, playing eight matches in the 2009/10 campaign as the French club saw off the likes of his former club Stade Français and Leinster Rugby before eventually defeating Biarritz 21-19 in a thrilling final in Paris. Since retiring in 2014, he has been made joint-head coach at Biarritz alongside Nicolas Nadau. [jwplayer RPylYydY] Bryan Habana – 2014 and 2015 Arguably one of South Africa’s finest sporting exports, wing Bryan Habana made 124 appearances for the Springboks and another 24 European Cup matches for RC Toulon in an illustrious career. The 2007 World Cup winner moved to France in 2013 and enjoyed instant success, helping the French club to European Cup success in 2014 and 2015 with final victories over Saracens and ASM Clermont Auvergne respectively. One of Habana’s most famous tries came in the 2015 semi-final in Marseille – hosts of the 2019 Heineken Champions Cup final – when he made a stunning intercept pass in extra time against Leinster to secure a spot in the showpiece final. The 36-year-old currently features on Channel 4’s Heineken Champions Cup coverage and conducted the 2019-20 Heineken Champions Cup draw in Lausanne alongside Dimitri Yachvili. Schalk Brits – 2016 and 2017 Hooker Schalk Brits played over 50 times for Saracens in European rugby, but it wasn’t until 2016 that he tasted success with the English club at European level. Having been defeated in the 2014 final by Toulon, they would make no mistake two years later when defeating Racing 21-9 in a try-less final in Lyon before repeating the trick in 2017 with a 28-17 success over ASM Clermont Auvergne at BT Murrayfield. The 38-year-old – who won 15 caps for the Springboks – moved back to South Africa in 2018 to play for Super Rugby side Bulls and scored a try in the Rugby World Cup last month against Namibia.