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Established
1996 (30 years old)
Sport
Rugby
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Emirates Airline Park
(62,567 Capacity)
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Johannesburg
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curswine: 07/Jul/25
Lions
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Recent League Form ➡
Established
1996 (30 years old)
Sport
RugbyVenue
Emirates Airline Park
(62,567 Capacity)
Former Names
None Add some?
Equipment Clearart
Primary Colours
Location
Johannesburg
Nicknames
Competitions
United Rugby Championship
European Rugby Challenge Cup
Last Edit
curswine: 07/Jul/25
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Description
The Lions (known as the Emirates Lions for sponsorship reasons) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Johannesburg in the Gauteng province who competed in the Super Rugby competition until 2020. They were previously known as the Cats between the 1998 and 2006 seasons. They had varied results in the competition, finishing at the bottom of the table six times (in 1998, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2012), but reaching the semifinal stage five times (in 2000, 2001, 2016, 2017 and 2018). They reached their first final in 2016 – where they lost to the Hurricanes 20–3 in Wellington – and repeated the feat in 2017, losing 17–25 to the Crusaders in Johannesburg. The team reached their 3rd consecutive final in 2018 when they lost against the Crusaders 38–17 in Christchurch. The team plays its home matches at Ellis Park Stadium.
The team faced relegation from the Super 14 after the Southern Spears won a court ruling that they should 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.
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. 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.
During the 2016 Super Rugby season play-offs, the Lions defeated the South Island teams (Crusaders and Highlanders) to reach the championship final, in which they were defeated 20-3 by the Hurricanes.
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30 May 
Description
The Lions (known as the Emirates Lions for sponsorship reasons) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Johannesburg in the Gauteng province who competed in the Super Rugby competition until 2020. They were previously known as the Cats between the 1998 and 2006 seasons. They had varied results in the competition, finishing at the bottom of the table six times (in 1998, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2012), but reaching the semifinal stage five times (in 2000, 2001, 2016, 2017 and 2018). They reached their first final in 2016 – where they lost to the Hurricanes 20–3 in Wellington – and repeated the feat in 2017, losing 17–25 to the Crusaders in Johannesburg. The team reached their 3rd consecutive final in 2018 when they lost against the Crusaders 38–17 in Christchurch. The team plays its home matches at Ellis Park Stadium.
The team faced relegation from the Super 14 after the Southern Spears won a court ruling that they should 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.
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. 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.
During the 2016 Super Rugby season play-offs, the Lions defeated the South Island teams (Crusaders and Highlanders) to reach the championship final, in which they were defeated 20-3 by the Hurricanes.
Team Members
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| Number | Name | Nationality | Position | Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Asenathi Ntlabakanye |  South Africa | Prop | - |
| - | Boldwin Hansen | South Africa | Winger | - |
| - | Bronson Mills | South Africa | Center | - |
| - | Conraad Van Vuuren | South Africa | Prop | - |
| - | Darrien Landsberg |  Zimbabwe | Lock | - |
| - | Edwill Van Der Merwe | South Africa | Winger | - |
| - | Erich Cronjé | South Africa | Center | - |
| - | Etienne Oosthuizen | South Africa | Lock | - |
| - | Francke Horn | South Africa | Back Row | - |
| - | Franco Marais | South Africa | Hooker | - |
| - | Gianni Lombard | South Africa | Fly-half | - |
| - | Heiko Pohlmann | South Africa | Prop | - |
| - | Henco Van Wyk | South Africa | Center | - |
| - | Izan Esterhuizen | South Africa | Back row | - |
| - | Jaco Visagie | South Africa | Hooker | - |
| - | Jacques-Lois Du Toit | South Africa | Hooker | - |
| - | Jarod Cairns | South Africa | Back row | - |
| - | JC Pretorius | South Africa | Back row | - |
| - | Jordan Hendrikse | South Africa | Fly-half | - |
| - | Juan Schoeman | South Africa | Prop | - |
| - | Kade Wolhuter | South Africa | Fly-half | - |
| - | Keagan Smith | South Africa | Winger | - |
| - | Kelly Mpeku | South Africa | Center | - |
| - | Layton Horn | South Africa | Scrum-half | - |
| - | Luca Ribbens | South Africa | Lock | - |
| - | Manuel Rass | South Africa | Center | - |
| - | Marius Louw | South Africa | Center | - |
| - | Marno Grobbelaar | South Africa | Hooker | - |
| - | Mj Pelser | South Africa | Back Row | - |
| - | Morgan Naudé | South Africa | Prop | - |
| - | Morné Brandon | South Africa | Hooker | - |
| - | Morné Van Den Berg | South Africa | Scrum-half | - |
| - | Nico Steyn | South Africa | Scrum-half | - |
| - | PJ Botha | South Africa | Hooker | - |
| - | Quan Horn | South Africa | Full-back | - |
| - | Rabz Maxwane | South Africa | Winger | - |
| - | Raynard Roets | South Africa | Lock | - |
| - | Reinhard Nothnagel | South Africa | Lock | - |
| - | Renzo Du Plessis | South Africa | Back row | - |
| - | RF Schoeman | South Africa | Prop | - |
| - | Richard Kriel | South Africa | Full-back | - |
| - | Ruan Delport | South Africa | Back row | - |
| - | Ruan Venter | South Africa | Lock | - |
| - | Ruben Schoeman | South Africa | Lock | - |
| - | Ruhan Straeuli | South Africa | Back row | - |
| - | Rynhardt Jonker | South Africa | Center | - |
| - | Sam Francis | South Africa | Fly-half | - |
| - | Siba Qoma | South Africa | Lock | - |
| - | Sivu Mabece | South Africa | Prop | - |
| - | SJ Kotze | South Africa | Hooker | - |
| - | Tapiwa Mafura | Zimbabwe | Full-back | - |
| - | Tiaan Wessels | South Africa | Lock | - |
| - | WJ Steenkamp | South Africa | Back row | - |
| - | Zander Du Plessis | South Africa | Fly-half | - |
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