Lions - (formerly Cats, Kings) - a brief rugby history

Colours: Jersey: Red & White Shorts: Black Socks: Black with Red & White stripes
Home Ground: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Chairman:
CEO: Rudolf Straeuli

Website: www.lionsrugby.co.za

View/Download

Games Results 1996 - 2019 (PDF) Updated 20/6/19

Overall Statistical Results 1996 - 2019 (PDF) Updated 20/6/19

Lions v's all other Super teams (PDF) New 21/6/19

The Lions were formed in 1998. Until 2007 they were called the Cats. For the first two years of the Super 12/14 competition the franchise was represented by the Currie Cup team Gauteng Lions (Transvaal). The current franchise represents the South African Rugby Regions of Johannesburg, North West & Mpumalanga. In 2013 the Southern Kings won the right to play in the competition. They lost this right by local promotion/relegation to the Lions for 2014.

The 2019 head coach is Swys (Neil) de Bruin. The assistant coaches are Philip Lemmer & Joey Mongolo.

The 2019 squad is:

Forwards: Jacobie Adriaanse; Cyle Brink; Jan-Henning Campher; Robbie Coetzee; Haejivah Dayimani; Lourens Erasmus; Rhyno Herbst; Pieter Jansen; Johannes Jonker; Robert Kruger; Stephan Lewies; Len Massyn; Malcolm Marx; Nathan McBeth; Danie Mienie; Reinhard Nothnagel; Marvin Orie; Carlu Sadie; Marnus Schoeman; Sti Sithole; Albertus (Kwagga) Smith; Dylan Smith; Vincent Tshituka; Wilhelm van der Sluys; Frans van Wyk; Ruan Vermaak; Warren Whiteley (C).

Backs:Andries Coetzee; Ruan Combrinck; Ross Cronje; Ahhiwe Dyanti; Tyrone Green; Nic Groom; Elton Jantjies; Gianni Lombard; Sylvian Mahuza; Lionel Mapoe; Franco Naude; Shaun Reynolds; Wandisile Similane; Courtnall Skosan; Dillon Smit; Madosh Tambwe; James Venter; Harold Vorster.

They play 8 Home games against: Bulls; Jaquares; Rebels; Sharks; Waratahs; Highlanders; Stormers; Hurricanes.

They play 8 Away games against: Jaquares; Stormers; Sunwolves; Brumbies; Chiefs; Crusaders; Sharks; Bulls.

The Lions finished in 2nd position at the end of the 2018 round-robin stages, losing the final to the Crusaders.

The Lions have finished in the top 6 of the round-robin stages of the Super competition six times out of 22 years.

In the play-offs they have featured in three finals in 2016, 2017 & 2018.

Their average finishing position is 9.55

They are 5th= on the New Zealand TAB fixed odds to win the competition @ NZ$23.00

Endorsements

We are burying a good friend and ex-southland rugby player this Friday in Invercargill with many of the local rugby men that feature on your site (we have checked!) no doubt will be attending also. We just happened to be googling his name to see if any rugby info came up and your history site came up from that. It was great to see how many games he had played and when.
A wonderful source of information. Keep up the great work.

Kind regards,
Jo MacDonald

Hi Kerry
I just came across your website ......it is amazing.
Michael O'Dwyer
Tipperary, Ireland

I would like to thank Kerry for his Rugby History website. The site is very easy to use. The information it has provided me with for an article I am researching for the Rugby Statistician's Magazine has proved invaluable.

Dave Hall

I have seen the development of the website http://www.rugbyhistory.co.nz/ over the past 12 months and genuinely believe it has the potential to become the online portal for rugby history and statistics in New Zealand. Outside of the Rugby Almanack there is nowhere that rugby followers can go to gain such information, and there is certainly nowhere online that comes close to the level of detail that Kerry’s website provides.

With a bit of support I think http://www.rugbyhistory.co.nz/ can become the most comprehensive rugby database in the country, and in the process protect the legacy of our national game.

Hamish Forsman
Waikato Rugby Union Media Executive & Historian

Thanks for this great work. I hope you can soon raise the funding you need to expand these rugby records.

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Testimonial

Just wanted to drop you a line to say that Trevor Howard from New Zealand Rugby has advised me/us (fellow REO’s) of your website. I have had the chance to go through it and must say that you have done an outstanding job in collating and publishing this information. I have, in turn, shared it with all my referees in my regions (for which there are a number of referees in your data base) and I have nothing but praise and complements for what you have done.

Often referees (and players) simply drop off the system and the only records are in books and word of mouth (especially the less known personnel) but for them (and me), to search through and find our names and details of our 1st class accomplishment is very flattering and a sense of pride is established as we show our children or colleagues/friends of years gone by. Of course this is helped by the ease of access (as opposed to searching through books and magazines).

Thanks again for your efforts (for which I can only imagine are enormous) and I hope you continue to enter the details and expand your website.

John Dustow (JD)
Referee Education Officer (REO)
Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union/Thames Valley Rugby Football Union.

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Lions - (formerly Cats, Kings) - a brief rugby history