JC and his Lions are not yet extinct

The Lions may be out of the Currie Cup competition and stripped of their Super Rugby status, but they are not an extinct species.

Coach Johan Ackermann and captain JC Janse van Rensburg listed getting the team back in Super Rugby by 2014 as a top priority.

Janse van Rensburg, speaking after his team's heartbreaking 16-21 loss to Western Province in the Currie Cup semifinal at the weekend, revealed that he will remain with the team during their exile from Super Rugby next year.

While a host of the their senior players will go on loan to other franchises – Franco van der Merwe (to the Sharks), Elton Jantjies, Jaco Taute (both Stormers) and Lionel Mapoe (Bulls) – Van Rensburg will stay on with the remainder of the squad in Johannesburg.

Janse van Rensburg, who took over from Josh Strauss as captain at the start of the Currie Cup season, said he felt he needed to repay the Union for the faith they have shown in him over the years.

"I came here as a 'boertjie' [country boy] and the big city was massive for me. I couldn't even speak English," the burly prop said.

"The [Golden Lions Rugby] Union has, over the years, been great towards me, always willing to give me a contract, and I just feel I have to pay them back.

"It will only be six months not playing Super Rugby but in 2014 we will be back with a bang."

Ackermann added that his side would now start their journey towards reclaiming a Super Rugby berth.

"There will still be some tough games coming up over the next six months but it won't be in a competition format," Ackermann said.

"Our first big game will probably be the playoffs to get back into Super Rugby here at Ellis Park."

The GLRU not only lost their place in next year's Super Rugby competition, but were further mired in controversy when their New Zealand coach John Mitchell was suspended towards the end of their Super Rugby campaign.

The Union also terminated the contracts of assistant coaches Carlos Spencer and Wayne Taylor shortly before the start of the Currie Cup competition.

"The players had to remain level-headed about their futures, then there was the new coach, and new assistant coaches," said Ackermann, who had to step into the coaching role.

"If you consider all of this, we could as well have finished in sixth place [in the Currie Cup competition] and everything could have fallen apart. We could have been involved in the promotion/relegation matches."

The Lions have an arduous road ahead of them as they have already lost some senior players to other unions and overseas clubs.

Those include former captain Josh Strauss, who joined Glasgow Warriors in Scotland, Springbok prop Pat Cilliers and utility forward Michael Rhodes to the Stormers.

Then there are players like Van der Merwe, Jantjies, Taute and Mapoe who will be on loan to other franchises, although they would return for the promotion/relegation matches at the end of next year's Super Rugby season.

Ackermann said they would work hard to strengthen player depth.

"There are a core of players who are committed and then we've identified some young players that can slot in where the other guys have left off," Ackermann said.

"We just have to knuckle down and build the team as a unit and, if you have 22 guys that want to play, we won't be bad."

The coach said the team would continue their off-season training as if they were preparing for the Super Rugby.

He was also confident that the alternative matches they were arranging for the side would prepare them for the promotion/relegation match against the SA team which finishes last on the Super Rugby conference log.

"We are still going to play the Super Rugby franchises and there will be some exciting games for the guys of a higher standard than Vodacom rugby," he said.

"We've got a few months to build a side towards that, and use the lessons we've learned [in the semifinal loss to WP], because that game will almost be like a semi."

Janse van Rensburg bemoaned what he called a "vital mistake" they made in the final minute, which gifted WP an attacking line-out deep inside their 22 – from which they set up a maul and scored the match-winning try right on the full-time hooter.

"Hats off to Western Province, they came out firing for that last try and they are the winners," the Lions captain said.

"I am proud of the guys, it was a tough season," he said, adding: "We are not going to lie down, we will stand up and this team will be back [in Super Rugby] in 2014.

"We might not play Super Rugby [next year], but this team has a lot of character.

"We wanted to show the world and South Africa what this team is about.

"We will go and work hard and be back next year, and the year after that."

rugby365.com & SAPA