The new equity partners of Western Province's commercial arm will get an early indication of the size of the task they signed up for when the Stormers clash with Stade Rochelais (La Rochelle) at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Sure, their initial concern will be to get the entity back on a sound financial footing, but their future prospects are heavily intertwined with the progress the team makes on the field.
Barely two weeks after the equity deal was finalised the Stormers face an on the field litmus test against the defending double champions and arguably the most physically imposing team in the competition.
In the Champions Cup's recent history no team has stood taller. Stade Rochelais have reached the previous three finals, winning the last two. That translates to 11 wins in the last 12 knock-out matches they've played at the business end of the Champions Cup.
And it isn't just about quantity. To have well over 60 players contracted is a starting point, but the real measure of the squad is the experience the head coach can call on in the moments that matter.
They will travel to Cape Town with more wind in their sails than was the case when they made the same trip back in December. They have arrived in the Cape after three wins and a defeat last month.
When Stade Rochelais last dropped anchor in the Mother City they were without their talismanic skipper Gregory Alldritt, who was still on leave following the Rugby World Cup.
He is back and the visitors are unlikely to be as laissez faire as they were nine days before Christmas.
In a European context, the Stormers, as their director of rugby John Dobson is at pains to explain, remain a work in progress. Sure, they met success in the inaugural United Rugby Championship and contested the last final but they simply don't possess the squad depth to compete with Champions Cup blue bloods such as Toulouse, Leinster and Stade Rochelais.
And it isn't just about quantity. To have well over 60 players contracted is a starting point, but the real measure of the squad is the experience the head coach can call on in the moments that matter.
The Stormers certainly learnt that the hard way last year. They were humbled 42-17 away from home by Exeter in the Champions Cup quarterfinals and when they effectively fielded the same team in the URC against Munster, they lost their 21-game home win run.
If the Stormers had the depth they should have left a team behind capable of taking down Munster. Instead the Irish outfit got the win and built more momentum on their winning run that culminated in a return journey to Cape Town where they annexed the trophy.
Building squad depth, however, is easier said than done. Even if the Stormers had the financial resources to keep all their talent in the Cape it is worth remembering that talent and patience rarely feature in the same sentence.
Often younger players are not prepared to bide their time and toil behind more established players. They tend to seek franchises where they will be guaranteed a place as a regular starter. Though they are from the same school, that perhaps explains why No8s Evan Roos, Cameron Hanekom and Francke Horn are playing at three different franchises.
For now though, Red Disa, the consortium that bought 74% of WP's commercial arm, is keeping their eye on the ball. Don't expect the Stormers to go on a spending spree, player retention is for now the name of the game.
Their focus, through interim CEO Johan le Roux, is wholly on growing the business and making it more sustainable. Once in a position of strength, conquering Europe may move higher up the agenda.
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