Lions (Super Rugby)

Lions

Full name	Lions
Union	South African Rugby Union
Emblem(s)	Lion
Founded	1996
Location	Johannesburg, South Africa
Region	Johannesburg North West Mpumalanga
Ground(s)	Emirates Airline Park (Capacity: 62,567)
Coach(es)	Johan Ackermann
Captain(s)	Warren Whiteley
League(s)	Super Rugby
2015	8th
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.lionsrugby.co.za

The Lions (known as the Emirates Lions for sponsorship reasons) are a South African professional rugby union team who compete in the Super Rugby competition. They were previously known as the Cats between the 1998 and 2006 seasons. They have not achieved great success in the competition, finishing at the bottom of the table six times (in 1998, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2012). However, they have managed to reach the semifinal stage twice (in 2000 and 2001). The Lions play in a red and white strip.

The team faced relegation from the Super 14 after the Southern Spears won a court ruling that they be included in the competition in place of the lowest ranked South African team in the 2006 competition. However, the Spears and the country's national federation, the South African Rugby Union, reached a settlement of their legal case. By the terms of the settlement, announced on 16 November 2006, the financially troubled Spears abandoned their case.^[1]

As part of a second attempt to introduce Super Rugby into the Eastern Cape, after finishing bottom of the 2012 Super Rugby table, the South African Rugby Union mandated that the Lions be replaced in the 2013 competition by the Southern Kings from Port Elizabeth.^[2] The Lions exclusion lasted just one season as they regained their place in Super Rugby for the 2014 season by beating the Southern Kings in a two leg playoff after the Kings finished bottom of the 2013 South African conference.

History

Transvaal/Gauteng Lions (1996–97)

When the Super 12 was launched in 1996, both Australia and New Zealand created franchise-based models for their teams in the new tournament. South Africa however, used the previous seasons Currie Cup to determine what provinces would be promoted to the new international tournament. The Transvaal Rugby Union were promoted in the first ever season, winning three of their 11 fixtures, finishing in 10th position on the end of season ladder, above the Canterbury Crusaders and the Western Province.

Transvaal were again promoted to the Super 12 for the 1997 season, and played under the title of the Gauteng Lions. The Lions' season was a lot more successful than their results in the inaugural season. The Lions won and lost five matches, and drawing one, to finish in fifth place overall on the end of season table, two points behind the fourth-placed Natal Sharks, narrowly missing out on a place in the finals.

Cats (1998–2005)

Cats logo.

For the 1998 season SA Rugby changed the Currie Cup qualification process for the Super 12, following Australia and New Zealand by forming provincial franchises. The Cats, or Golden Cats were established as one of the four new franchises, and were centered around the Golden Lions, as well as the Leopards and Pumas, as well as drawing from the Free State, Griffons and Griquas. The Cats home ground was to be shared between Ellis Park and the Free State Stadium.

The Cats did not make the finals in their first two seasons, but the appointment of former New Zealand coach Laurie Mains for the 2000 season signalled a change in fortunes. After defeating the Bulls in Pretoria in the opening round, they also defeated the Stormers at home in round two. However, the Cats' good fortunes soon went sour as they fell to four straight losses, even going down 64–0 to the Brumbies. The losing streak was snapped when the Cats pulled off a one-point victory over the Sharks in Durban. Following a bye, the Cats stormed through the remainder of the season undefeated to finish in fourth position, their best finish yet, as well as qualifying for a semi-final.

The semi-final was played at the Brumbies' home ground in Canberra, with the homeside winning 28–3 to knock the Cats out of the finals. The 2001 Super 12 season started off in a positive style for the Cats; defeating the Stormers 29–24, and then crushing the Highlanders 56–21, as well as narrowly losing a reply of last season's semi-final against the Brumbies 19–17. The Cats qualified for the finals again, finishing in third place bettering last season's fourth. However, they were again knocked out in the semi-finals, losing 30–12, this time to the Sharks. The Cats did not qualify for the finals the next few seasons. Then the Super 12 was expanded into the Super 14 for the 2006 season, with the addition of two new teams; the Central Cheetahs and the Western Force. The Cats finished in 13th place overall.

Lions (2006–)

On 8 September 2006, the Golden Lions Rugby Union, the union that at the time operated both the Golden Lions and the Cats, announced that the team would be known in the future as the Lions, and unveiled a new logo.^[3][4]

During the 2010 Super 14 season, the Lions lost all 13 games of the season, setting a new record. The previous record was held by the Bulls, with 0 wins from the 11 game season in 2002. On 20 January 2011, the club announced a 3-year sponsorship deal with telecoms company MTN.^[5] From 2011–12 they were known as the MTN Lions for sponsorship reasons. Ivor Ichikowitz and Robert Gumede pledged to purchase a 49.9% stake in the club through their investment company GumaTac in October 2010. The deal fell apart in 2011 due to differences with GLRU executives.^[6] In February 2011, the club signed Springbok fly-half Butch James^[7] among other high profile signings Lionel Mapoe, Pat Cilliers and Rory Kockott.^[8]

Relegation and Lions Challenge Series, 2012-

After finishing on the bottom of the Super Rugby table for the third time in five seasons, South African Rugby Union (SARU) officials voted in August 2012 to relegate the Lions from the competition and promote the Eastern Cape-based Southern Kings.^[9]
On 10 January 2013, the GLRU launched a schedule of 16 matches called the 2013 Lions Challenge Series. This series would begin on January 19 against Russia, and conclude on July 20 against Top 14 team Grenoble, to be followed by the Super Rugby promotion/relegation play-off.^[10][11] At the launch of the series, President Kevin de Klerk said:

We took major umbrage to the decision made in Cape Town last year to relegate us, and the easy route would have been to play the blame game and look for scapegoats... But we have decided to get on with the rugby and ensure we continue to serve our stakeholders."^[11]

Unfortunately several of the scheduled Lions Challenge games, including a proposed tour to the United States, never took place. Thus the idea of a Challenge Series was perceived to have failed. But despite not having the best lead up to the important Super Rugby promotion match-up with the Southern Kings later that year, the Lions ended up winning the two legged series. Thus they were promoted back into Super Rugby for 2014.

Season-by-Season Placing Summary

As Transvaal:

Season	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	BP	Pts
1996	10th	11	3	0	8	228	299	−71	4	16

As Gauteng Lions:

Season	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	BP	Pts
1997	5th	11	5	1	5	302	346	−44	6	28

As Cats:

Season	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	BP	Pts	Notes
1998	12th	11	2	0	9	266	346	−80	7	15
1999	11th	11	4	0	6	312	341	−29	6	22
2000	4th	11	7	0	4	320	334	−14	4	32	Lost semi-final to Brumbies
2001	3rd	11	7	0	4	285	244	+41	6	34	Lost semi-final to Sharks
2002	11th	11	1	0	9	217	370	−153	2	6
2003	12th	11	2	0	9	259	398	−139	4	12
2004	12th	11	1	0	10	294	459	−165	7	11
2005	11th	11	1	1	9	226	326	−100	7	13

As Lions:

Season	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	BP	Pts
2006	13th	13	2	1	10	220	405	−185	5	15
2007	12th	13	5	0	8	175	284	−109	2	22
2008	14th	13	2	1	10	206	367	−161	2	12
2009	12th	13	4	0	9	294	419	−125	9	25
2010	14th	13	0	0	13	270	585	−315	5	5
2011	14th	16	3	1	12	351	477	−126	7	29
2012	15th	16	3	0	13	317	460	−143	5	25
2014	12th	16	7	0	9	367	413	−46	3	31
2015	8th	16	9	1	6	342	364	−22	4	42

Location

They are based in Johannesburg, and have always been centred around the Lions union (Johannesburg), drawing players from that union since the inception of the competition as Super 12 in 1996.

Through 2005, the Cats also drew players from the two unions based in Free State —the Free State Cheetahs (Bloemfontein) and Griffons (Welkom)— and the Griquas (Northern Cape). That arrangement ended when the Central Cheetahs were admitted to the competition.

Starting in 2006, they draw players from the Leopards (North West) and Pumas (Mpumalanga) unions, which previously were in the franchise areas of the Bulls.

Stadium

The Lions' home ground is Ellis Park Stadium (known for sponsorship reasons as the Emirates Airline Park), named after an employee from the Johannesburg City Council, Mr JD Ellis, with whom the rugby union negotiated to acquire the land on which the stadium is built. The stadium is in Johannesburg. Ellis Park hosted a number of matches at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, including the final, which was played out between the All Blacks and South Africa, which saw South Africa win the William Webb Ellis Cup in an emotional final.

Honours

Super 12/14 Era (1996 - 2010)

• Playoff Appearances (2): 2000, 2001

Coaches

• 1996: Kitch Christie
• 1997: Ray Mordt
• 1998: Peet Kleynhans
• 1999: Andre Markgraaff
• 2000–01: Laurie Mains
• 2002: Rudi Joubert
• 2003: Tim Lane
• 2004–05: Chester Williams
• 2006: Frans Ludeke
• 2007–10: Eugene Eloff
• 2010: Dick Muir
• 2010–12: John Mitchell
• 2012: Johan Ackermann

Current squad

The Lions squad for the 2016 Super Rugby season is:^[12]

References

External links

• Lions official website
• Lions supporters website