- Lions (Super rugby franchise)
Rugby team
teamname = Lions
union =South African Rugby Union
location =Johannesburg ,South Africa
country
founded = 1996
region =Johannesburg
North WestMpumalanga
ground = Ellis Park
capacity = 59,611
coach =Eugene Eloff
captain =Ernst Joubert
league =Super 14
season = 2007
position = 12th
pattern_la1=_blackborder|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=_blackborder|leftarm1=FF0000|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FF0000|shorts1=000000| socks1=000000
pattern_la2=_blackborder|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=_blackborder|leftarm2=FF0000
body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FF0000|shorts2=000000|socks2=000000
url = www.lionsrugby.co.zaThe Lions, known as the Cats through the 2006 season, are aSouth Africa nrugby union franchise that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They have not achieved great success in this competition, finishing at the bottom of the table three times (in 1998, 2003 and 2004). However, they have managed to reach the semifinal stage twice (in 2000 and 2001). The current team captain isErnst Joubert , who replacedAndré Pretorius early in the 2007 season.The Lions play in a red and white strip. For a time, 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. [http://www.pretorianews.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3376189] However, the Spears and the country's national federation, theSouth African Rugby Union , reached a settlement of their legal case. By the terms of the settlement, announced on16 November 2006 , the financially troubled Spears abandoned their case, ensuring the Lions a place in the competition for the foreseeable future. [cite web| work=Planet Rugby | title=Spears abandon their Super conquest|url=http://www.planet-rugby.com/Teams/South_Africa/story_55239.shtml | date=2006-11-16 | accessdate=2006-11-22]History
Transvaal/Lions
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 seasonsCurrie 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
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 Ellis Park.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 inPretoria in the opening round, they also defeated theStormers 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 inDurban . 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. The2001 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, another 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 theSuper 14 for the 2006 season, with the addition of two new teams; theCentral Cheetahs and theWestern Force . The Cats finished in 13th place overall.Lions
On
8 September 2006 , the Golden Lions Rugby Union, the company that operates 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. [cite web| work=Planet Rugby | title=From Cats to Lions ... the new look|url=http://www.planet-rugby.com/Tournaments/Super_12/story_53634.shtml | date=2006-09-08 | accessdate=2006-09-12] [cite web| work=Golden Lions Rugby Union | title=Golden Lions Rugby Union announces new Lions International Brand|url=http://www.lionsrugby.co.za/newsdetail.asp?NewsID=238 | date=2006-09-08 | accessdate=2007-01-13]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 in1996 . Currently, they also draw players from the Leopards (North West) and Pumas (Mpumalanga ) unions. Through2005 , the Cats drew from the two unions based inFree State —theFree State Cheetahs (Bloemfontein ) and Griffons (Welkom )—and the Griquas (Northern Cape ), but that arrangement ended when theCentral Cheetahs became South Africa's new Super 14 franchise.The Cheetahs now draw their players from Free State, Griffons and Griquas, while the Leopards and Pumas were moved from the franchise area of the Bulls to that of the Cats. Prior to 1998, the Cats (more accurately, the Golden Lions) competed in the then-Super 12 as Transvaal, as South Africa then sent its top four unions to the Super 12 instead of franchises, and Transvaal qualified both years.
tadium
The Lions' home ground is at the Coca-Cola stadium formly known as Ellis Park Stadium, usually known as just Ellis Park. 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 theAll Blacks and South Africa, which saw South Africa win theWilliam Webb Ellis Cup in an emotional final.Current squad
The following is a list of Lions players for the 2008 season.cite web| url= http://www.lionsrugby.co.za/dynamicnews.asp?News_ID=213 |title=Lions: Squad Announcement |publisher=lionsrugby.co.za |accessdate=2008-02-14]
eason standings
:
References
External links
* [http://www.catsrugby.co.za/ CatsRugby.co.za]
* [http://www.lionsrugby.co.za/home.asp lionsrugby.co.za]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.