Lions double down on their pathway system for long-term success
EXCLUSIVE: It’s no secret that the Sharks, Stormers, and Bulls have the financial muscle to attract some of the best talent to their respective unions.
In recent years, the trio has emerged as South Africa’s leading powerhouses in the boardroom, particularly following the Lions’ decline after the Super Rugby era.
The Sharks have continued to splash out huge amounts of money for players under Marco Masotti, while the Bulls are consistently recruiting.
The Stormers, under new ownership, have also invested heavily to get players through the door, while retaining some of their current stars in the process.
The Lions, however, despite signing the odd player here and there, have taken a different approach in recent years and are instead relying on their pathway systems to develop players for the senior side.
“We pride ourselves on building from the ground up and producing quality players,” Lions Currie Cup and Under-23 coach Mzwakhe Nkosi told Rugby365.
“The challenge we have is to see how many players from our pathway systems can graduate into the senior team, and that’s what we rate ourselves on.
“There are some positives from that because it means we don’t always have to buy from outside, and it helps us if the senior team does well.
“We have three pillars – firstly, how many junior players we can graduate and how many Junior Springboks we can create and, obviously, winning trophies.”
The Lions’ recruitment process, similar to other unions, begins with signing players in their final year of school.
Last year, the Johannesburg-based franchise landed, amongst others, Grey College’s Ethan Adams, who was one of the most talked-about schoolboy players in South Africa.
Adams, better known as the ‘Tank’, has since represented the union at the ongoing SA Rugby U23 Cup and will don the green and gold for the Junior Boks in this year’s Under-20 Rugby Championship.
Nkosi explained how they go about their recruitment process and what they look for.
“We always look for players who fit our game model.
“Sometimes it’s not always the player in the news, but sometimes it is. A guy like Ethan fits our game model, and we have always had an eye on him.
“We also look for players who are interested in studying. A lot of our programmes are designed around getting a tertiary education, and 95 percent of our pathway players are studying, and studying some really good degrees as well.”
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Nkosi says the union has a history of proving that both the “pro-rugby thing” and tertiary education can be achieved.
As a result, the Lions have carved out strong relationships with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits).
Several players in their structures study at the institutions mentioned above and play in both the Varsity Cup and Shield.
JT Kapank, Jeandre Uithaler, and Jaythen Orange all played for UJ in this year’s Cup competition, while Marko Kok and Lian Terblanche were part of the Wits title-winning side.
In past years, names like Likhona Finca and Alzeadon Felix also played under the UJ banner while signed with the Lions.
“Our relationship with the universities is very good,” Nkosi explained.
“They are in Varsity competitions, and we’ve got players who need game time and want to study, so it’s a win/win for everyone.
“Dave Wessels once said that young players need to play rugby, and I couldn’t agree more. It doesn’t help that they get stuck in academies and train all the time.
“Players get better by playing matches, and running out for the Varsities is also an incredible marketing tool and exposure for them. They get gametime, and we get to see them develop.”
The success stories from the Lions’ junior pathways to the senior side are there to see.
The current United Rugby Championship squad is laden with names who came through the system, and the Lions are finally reaping the rewards.
“The more we have relied on our pathway system, the better we have become.
“At times, we’ve let ourselves down as a franchise by buying too much from the outside, but we needed to find the right balance.
“If you look at our URC team, about 17 of the 23 players were part of our system.
“I’m talking about guys like SJ Kotze, Morne Brandon, PJ Botha, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, RF Schoeman, Reinhard Nothnagel, Darrien Landsberg, Siba Mahashe, Ruan Venter, Francke Horn, Nico Steyn, Morne van den Berg, Kelly Mpeku, Henco van Wyk, Quan Horn, Bronson Mills, and Haashim Pead.
“These are all big names, and it’s no surprise that they are doing well.”
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While the Lions senior side continues to make waves in the URC, currently sitting in fifth place, Nkosi’s U23 team is also dominating the SA U23 Cup.
After three matches, they sit atop the standings with 15 points and have a double header with the Stormers XXIII and a return fixture with the Bulls coming up.
“This competition is important for us and provides another layer to develop our players.
“We are using it to bridge the gap between the junior pathway and senior rugby while also giving fringe players in the URC a chance to play.”
The Lions’ junior structures are clearly in a healthy position, but retaining home-grown talent will remain a key challenge for the union in the years to come.
